Didda’s heart burned with a fierce desire to make herself strong and reveal her true potential. She accepted every instruction from the yoga master and from Vikram Sen as if they were sacred scriptures
Maharani Didda: Witch Queen of Kashmir
By Debasree Chakraborti
Amid the mysterious whirlpool of time, drawn by the magnetic pull of the cosmic pen of Mahakaal, emerged that special chapter of the Lohar Princess Didda’s life— the chapter in which Vikram Sen entered her life as her military instructor. Through the combined efforts of these two extraordinary figures, a bright new chapter in Kashmir’s future began.
Under Vikram Sen, the next and more difficult phase of Didda’s life commenced. Through extremely rigorous training, he began preparing his disciple for the future. For the first few days, Vikram Sen asked Didda to stand on one leg. He told her that this was a very important step in her training. As instructed by her teacher, Didda attempted to stand on one leg. In the first few days she had to face immense difficulties; again and again she would fall to the ground. But Didda was not someone who gave up easily. Each time she fell, she got back up. By repeatedly falling and rising, she eventually learned to balance on one leg. Day and night this arduous discipline continued. Beside the palace of the Didda’s flowed the Neelum River, on one side of that river lay a vast blue lake. One day, Vikram Sen summoned Didda to the shore of that lake. Didda saw a small boat floating on the water, and several guards standing in the water holding the boat steady with ropes tied on all sides. Seeing her arrival, they guided the boat toward the bank. Vikram Sen was standing under a tree. As soon as Didda approached him and bowed in respect, Vikram Sen placed his hand on her head, blessed her, and said, “Didda, from today your most difficult training begins. So prepare yourself mentally.”
With great enthusiasm, Didda assured her teacher that she was fully prepared in mind for any challenge, no matter how difficult, and that she was eagerly waiting for the toughest test of all. Didda understood very clearly that by going through such training, she would be able to conquer her physical limitations. With all her strength, she wanted to pass this formidable trial.
Vikram Sen said to her, “Princess, come this way. You must get onto that boat tied at the lake’s edge and stand on one leg. The strong winds blowing from the Neelum make the waters of this lake extremely restless; no boat can remain steady in such conditions. Although the guards will surround the boat from all sides, so there is no danger to your life, you must stand on one leg inside the boat. Since your birth, you have faced many terrifying trials. And now this blue lake symbolizes your life, while standing on one leg inside this boat represents your effort to overcome your physical disability amid the many adversities of life.”
“The stormy winds from the Neelum represent life’s struggles. My aim is to build within you the strength to stand firm in any storm,” Vikram Sen added.
Smiling, Didda walked toward the boat. But the moment she stepped onto it on one leg, the boat began to sway violently—only then she realized, she immediately understood how difficult and strenuous it was to stand there on one leg. But Didda was not someone who fled from hardship. She continued her efforts. Closing her eyes, she began chanting the name of her adored Mother Sarada. Whenever she meditated on the Goddess, she felt an intimate oneness with her. With folded hands and eyes closed, Didda stood on one leg inside the boat. In this manner, day after day, the same training continued, and after a certain period, she passed this test as well.
During this time, Vikram Sen himself became aware of Didda’s inner strength. He realized that with proper training, this princess would become unstoppable. But before beginning such advanced training, Didda needed to receive appropriate yogic instruction. Through yoga, she would be able to eliminate her physical limitations. Without wasting any more time, Vikram Sen went straight to King Simharaj. The king was then engrossed in a game of dice with Queen Shrelekha. At the top of the Lohar Palace, in a room crafted of silver and surrounded on all sides by the beauty of snow-covered mountains, the king and queen were absorbed in their game. Just then, a guard arrived and informed them that the princes’ instructor, Vikram Sen, sought an audience with His Majesty.
The king immediately granted permission. Vikram Sen rarely visited any place other than his quarters and the military training grounds. His sudden appearance thus caused both the king and the queen to grow extremely concerned. Moreover, that day, Vikram Sen’s calm and composed demeanor appeared unusually disturbed.
The king asked him to take a seat and inquired about the reason for his unexpected arrival.
But Vikram Sen did not sit down; he had no time to waste. Instead, he spoke directly, “Your Majesty, Didda is no ordinary princess. This girl has entered our lives carrying limitless potential.”
Hearing this, Queen Shrelekha became slightly annoyed and immediately said, “You came here interrupting our game just to say this? What else do you wish to tell us? Then speak about the training of the two princes, for whom we have appointed you.”
Understanding the queen’s attitude, Vikram Sen grew furious and said, “If Didda were placed on one pan of a weighing scale and your two sons on the other, they would fly away like dried chinar leaves. They would not be found anywhere.”
The queen was about to respond again when Vikram Sen folded his hands and said, “You are dismissing a diamond and giving importance to two fragile stones. Truly, I am astonished.”
From the garden below came the calls of royal swans mixed with harsh, grating cries, making the atmosphere even more tense. Shrelekha was stunned by Vikram Sen’s audacity. As a princess of the Hindu Shahi lineage, even her husband, King Simharaj, did not have the right to speak to her so bluntly. Yet here was an ordinary royal employee daring to speak to her in such a manner. Fortunately, there were no servants present at that moment. Thinking about the wellbeing of her sons, she restrained herself. For she had heard from both the king and her father that there was no second military instructor in the world with the skill of Vikram Sen. If her two sons trained under him, they would grow into mighty warriors. One of the queen’s greatest qualities was her ability to control her emotions in any situation.
So she composed herself.
The king knew very well that Vikram Sen was not someone who cared about anyone’s status or power—no matter who they were. To normalize the situation, the king said, “Please tell us the purpose of your visit.”
Vikram Sen replied, “Didda must reach a very advanced level of military training, and for that she must overcome her physical disability. This is possible only through proper yogic instruction. I wish to take Princess Didda to Kedarkhanda. There, in their hermitages, the sages use advanced yogic practices to cure even incurable diseases. I believe that if the princess receives proper yogic training from the sages there, her physical disability will be cured.”
Disguised as men, Didda and Bhalaga set off from Kashmir with Vikram Sen, relying only on three horses. The path was notorious for bandits, deep forests, and fragile, narrow mountain trails, where ferocious beasts and ruthless robbers lay in wait for travelers
That very day, after receiving the king’s permission, Vikramdev began preparing for the journey to Kedarkhanda. Bhalaga accompanied Didda on this journey. Bhalaga never trusted any man—no matter who he was. For this reason, she did not allow Didda to travel alone with Vikram Sen.
Disguised as men, Didda and Bhalaga set off from Kashmir with Vikram Sen, relying only on three horses. The path was notorious for bandits, deep forests, and fragile, narrow mountain trails, where ferocious beasts and ruthless robbers lay in wait for travelers. For this reason, Vikram Sen brought Didda and Bhalaga dressed as men. Along this journey, they came across many lakes, around which grew jungles of rudraksha trees. Stopping in mountain villages for shelter from time to time, they steadily advanced toward Kedarkhanda. By the grace of Mahadeva, they encountered no danger on this path. In every village where they took refuge, they introduced themselves as devotees of Mahadeva. The people of these regions were worshippers of the Great God. Vikram Sen informed them that they were traveling to Tibet to receive advanced spiritual knowledge. Bandits often wandered these villages in disguise to gather information about travelers. But when they learned that these were highly spiritual individuals, they abandoned any thought of harming them. People in those times were not as clever as Vikram Sen. Hence, most travelers often lost everything.
Upon reaching Kedarkhanda, Didda began her yogic training under a hermit sage who lived in a cave. Vikram Sen had already made all necessary arrangements through his messengers, so they faced no difficulties. However, no royal accommodations were arranged for them. They found shelter in a simple hermitage. At dawn, after bathing, Didda would go to the cave-dwelling sage for her yoga training, and afterwards Vikram Sen would begin his own regimen. He would ask Didda to hang from rocks on the mountainside, and at other times he trained her in mountain climbing.
At that time, Didda’s heart burned with a fierce desire to make herself strong and reveal her true potential. She accepted every instruction from the yoga master and from Vikram Sen as if they were sacred scriptures. During her mountain-climbing training, Didda’s body became bruised and wounded every day. Bhalaga would bring herbal ointments from the village healer and apply them to the injured areas, and she would mix pain-relieving herbal pellets into warm milk. This brought Didda some relief, yet she continued her practice daily with unwavering focus and dedication.
In this manner, nearly two years passed. After two years, Didda felt that she had gained complete control over her body. There was no trace of physical disability left. The long period of yogic training had enabled her to command every organ of her body. She now felt equal strength in both legs. Whether it was climbing steep, perilous mountains or standing on one leg for long stretches—none of these posed any difficulty anymore.
After two years, Didda returned to her father’s kingdom. Once back, Bhalaga alongside Vikram Sen, continued to train her in the secret arts of warfare. Didda seemed to transform into a divine yogini. Living far removed from worldly life, she shaped and refined herself with utmost care, preparing for the future that awaited her. (Continues)
Click here for Part-1, Part-2, Part-3, Part-4, Part-5, Part-6,
________________
Debasree Chakraborti is a renowned novel writer of Bengali language. Based in Kolkata, West Bengal, India, she has done Master’s in Modern History from the Kolkata University, and authored some thirty books, mostly the novels, with historical perspective and themes. Her novel is ‘Maharaja Dahir’ that covers the history of Sindh from 662, the year of first attack on Sindh by the Arab armies till date, was published last year and translated by Nasir Aijaz into Sindhi language.
