Chittorgarh Fort stands as one of India’s most powerful symbols. It is not just stone and mortar — it is a monument to sacrifice, dignity, and undying courage. And on the day of the Jauhar Shraddhanjali Samaroh, when thousands gathered at this historic site to pay tribute to the heroic women of Mewar, one voice from the stage cut through the charged atmosphere with words that no one in the crowd expected.
That voice belonged to Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore — Rajasthan’s Cabinet Minister, Olympic silver medallist, and a man whose own life story has been shaped by the twin values of sacrifice and service.
He did not simply recite history. He connected it, with startling clarity, to the present — to what the women of Mewar died for, and what every Indian owes them today.
What Happened at the Jauhar Shraddhanjali Samaroh?
The Jauhar Shraddhanjali Samaroh is an annual ceremony held at the Chittorgarh Fort, organised by the Jauhar Smriti Sansthan. It is one of Rajasthan’s most deeply felt commemorative events, drawing thousands of attendees from across the state and beyond.
The event honours the women of Mewar who, across three historical instances — in 1303, 1535, and 1568 — chose Jauhar over capture and dishonour. Rani Padmini. Rani Karnavati. The unnamed thousands who stood by their side. These were not simply acts of desperation. They were declarations: no force on earth could take what they held sacred.
The 2025 Jauhar Shraddhanjali Samaroh was a gathering of immense dignity. Present alongside Col. Rathore were Maharana Vishvaraj Singh ji Mewar — the current head of the historic Mewar royal house — UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. But it was Rathore’s address that drew particular attention for its personal depth and its connection between historical sacrifice and modern nationhood.
What Did Col. Rathore Actually Say?
Col. Rathore, standing at a site where thousands of women chose the most extreme form of courage over surrender, spoke about what Jauhar truly represented. He did not treat it as a distant historical event — he treated it as a living lesson for modern India.
He spoke of how the women of Mewar chose death over dishonour, not out of weakness, but because they understood something fundamental: that identity, dignity, and self-respect are worth more than life itself. And in that understanding, they became immortal.
As a man who once stood at the Olympic podium carrying the Indian tricolour — who served 26 years in the army defending the same flag — Col. Rathore drew a direct line between the courage of Mewar’s heroines and the courage required of every Indian today: the courage to stand united, to protect what India stands for, and to never forget what was sacrificed to preserve it.
💬 His Message in Simple Words
The women of Chittorgarh did not die for a king. They died for a value — the value that some things are more important than staying alive. That value is India. That is what we are here to remember and to carry forward.
Why This Event Matters Beyond History
For many in the audience, the Jauhar Shraddhanjali Samaroh is deeply personal. They are descendants of communities that lived through these events. Their grandparents passed down stories that no textbook captured. The fort, the yajna fire, the chants — these are not performances. They are the living memory of a community that has never forgotten.
Col. Rathore, despite being born in Jaisalmer and trained on shooting ranges and battlefields, understood this emotion completely. Because he has spent 26 years in the Indian Army — an institution that itself runs on the memory of sacrifice and the responsibility to never let that sacrifice be in vain.
His presence at the event was not ceremonial. He arrived, participated in the Yajna, offered floral tributes, and spoke — as a fellow inheritor of the tradition these women died to protect. You can see this dedication to Indian cultural heritage reflected across Col. Rathore’s public life and his work under the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav initiative.
The Women Who Made India’s History
• Rani Padmini — 1303 CE: Led the first Jauhar at Chittorgarh when Alauddin Khilji’s forces besieged the fort. Her choice became the defining story of Rajput honour and women’s dignity.
• Rani Karnavati — 1535 CE: Widow of Rana Sanga. When Bahadur Shah of Gujarat attacked, she led 13,000 women in the second Jauhar. Her courage in the face of impossible odds remains legendary.
• The Women of 1568 CE: When Akbar’s Mughal army besieged Chittorgarh, thousands of women once again chose Jauhar before the fort fell. Each name unknown, each sacrifice eternal.
Col. Rathore honoured each of these moments — and the countless unnamed women behind them — not with empty words, but with the recognition that their sacrifice shaped the identity of a nation.
From the Shooting Range to Chittorgarh — A Life of Saluting Courage
There is something deeply fitting about an Olympic silver medallist paying tribute at the Jauhar site. Both spaces — the Olympic podium and the Chittorgarh Fort — are places where human beings confronted their limits, dug deep into who they really were, and found something extraordinary.
Col. Rathore has stood in both places. At Athens 2004, he raised the Indian flag higher than any individual shooter ever had before. At Chittorgarh, he stood in humility before women who sacrificed everything for the same flag — centuries before it even existed in its current form.
His military career, his sports achievements, and his work in Rajasthan’s governance are all part of one continuous story — a story of service, sacrifice, and the belief that some things are always worth fighting for.
The Salute That Meant Everything
When the ceremony concluded and Col. Rathore offered his final tribute at the Jauhar site, those present said the atmosphere was electric with emotion. An Olympic champion. A colonel. A Cabinet Minister. Standing with his head bowed before the memory of women who had no medals, no rank, and no recognition — only their courage.
That salute, more than any speech, told you who Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore really is. Stay updated on his latest work and appearances at rajyavardhanrathore.in and follow the news and updates section for the latest.
