Queen Ganeshkunwari of Orchha Deserves a Better Place in History

In his path breaking novel, The Kingdom of God, Author Niranjan Mudholkar talks about a dangerous mission undertaken by Queen Ganeshkunwari of Orchha during the 16th Century to save some historical artefacts. We learn about the significance of those artefacts in this revealing interview.

Who exactly was Queen Ganeshkunwari and why is she so important?

Located in central India, the Kingdom of Orchha was founded in the 16th century. We are all aware that a barbaric invader destroyed one of our greatest temples – the Ramjanmabhumi Temple in Ayodhya in 1528-29. Of course, while he completely razed the structure, he could neither damage the spirit of our culture nor could he harm certain sacred objects from the temple. It was Queen Ganeshkunwari of Orchha who successfully undertook a dangerous mission to move some of these objects from Ayodhya to a safer place to protect them. These objects hold such significance in Hinduism that every Hindu should be grateful to Queen Ganeshkunwari of Orchha.

Are you saying that something like this actually happened?

Absolutely! Queen Ganeshkunwari existed and what she did was a historical fact. Just that it was wrapped in folklore for centuries. I have used my novel and its plot to pay a tribute to this amazing but unsung Queen and her great contribution in protecting the legacy of our great nation and its beautiful culture. I think Queen Ganeshkunwari of Orchha deserves a better place in our history!

Can you substantiate your claims?

One of the highest authorities on Dharma, culture and ancient Indian history, Shri CS Rangarajan has given his stamp of approval to this story by tweeting about it. Shri Rangarajan, who is also the High Priest of Chilkur Balaji Temple, says this in his tweet: “Historic fiction book “The Kingdom of God” describes the daring operation of Queen of Orchha to bring Shri Rama Raja, RamaRajya box along with a secret Key to open it from Ayodhya to Orchha and how finally years later the box is opened by the Key to reveal Rama Rajya documents.” I think this substantiates my claims very strongly!

Is ‘The Kingdom of God’ all about Queen Ganeshkunwari and her mission?

While Queen Ganeshkunwari’s mission plays an important role in The Kingdom of God, it is just one part of the overall narrative. The novel’s storyline actually runs in two time zones, one in the historical era and the other in the year 2019. So, while it has a very strong historical background to it, half of the novel unfolds in our times. One of the two mysterious objects brought by Queen Ganeshkunwari from Ayodhya stays in Orchha while the other object continues to travel from one place to another till it reaches its final destination in Pune.

What happens to that mysterious object in Pune?

That mysterious object was actually lost for quite some time. However, it is accidently discovered by an archaeologist inside a tunnel on Parvati Hill. What happens to it after that is the crux of the story.

Get your copy of The Kingdom of God by Niranjan Mudholkar on Amazon at this link: https://www.amazon.in/dp/1685382878