Rani Padmavati: Fact and fiction come together in this comic

A comic exploring the facts and fiction that surround the story of Padmavati, whose beauty is said to have been a catalyst for Alauddin Khilji to attack Chittorgarh.

Who was Rani Padmini? A queen in Chittorgarh in 1303, who heroically committed jauhar - an act of self-immolation - rather than fall into the clutches of Delhi-based ruler Alauddin Khilji? Or simply a fictitious character in Malik Muhammad Jayasi’s 1540 work, the Padmavat?

In our Sunday piece, we dissected the myths, local legends and historical accounts that surround the Rajput queen, whose palace still stands in Chittorgarh. This comic explores the story of Padmini, or Padmavati as she is also known.