From Gondi Folklore
In Jalmanagar only women lived. There were no men at all. Jwala Rani ruled over the city. She was chaste and holy and kept the virgins of the city in her house to guard their chastity. In her house she made a swing and in front of it was a little pond full of lotus flowers. A god lived in the lotus and she worshiped him and he used to tell her everything. All round her house were women guards with swords and guns. If any man entered the city they arrested him and took him to Jwala Rani. She would turn him into a god or cat or kill him. Whenever she killed a man she threw the blood into her pond.
Once a very handsome youth came to the city. Jwala Rani was swinging in her swing, but when she saw him she fell in love with him and wanted to marry him. The boy escaped and though the servants did their best to catch him he avoided them. Jawala Rani became pregnant by the strength of her love alone, and in due time gave birth to a daughter, Mayadevi. After this girl was born they changed the name of the city to Mayanagri.
One day Chandrasingh, the Rajkumar of Surajnagar, quarrelled with his brother and left his kingdom. He came to Mayanagri. Chandrasingh’s Guru was Goraknath. He gave the boy a necklace that had the power of making the wearer invisible, a bag of ashes which when blown onto anyone compelled him to dance and a sword which would cut off people’s heads of its own accord. When Chandrasingh reached Mayanagri the god came out of the lotus and laughed. Jwala Rani asked, “Why are you laughing?” The god said, “Because such a man has come that if you can bathe in his blood you will become immortal.” Chandrasingh went to see Jwala Rani. Her servants tried to stop him, but he put his necklace round his neck and he became invisible. He saw Mayadevi and she fell in love with him. But Jwala Rani tried to kill him. The boy kept on making himself invisible and the servants soon wearied of searching for him.
Presently the god again came out of the lotus and said, “You cannot kill Chandrasingh like this. He is the disciple of Guru Goraknath. You must first steal his necklace, his bag and his sword.” Hearing this Jwala Rani took the form of the Guru. She had a pillar erected in the courtyard and said to her women, “Tie me to this and heap wood round me as if you were going to burn me to death.” When Chandrasingh came, he saw what he thought was his Guru in danger of death. “Do not come here!” cried the Rani, “but throw your necklace, bag and sword to me and I will be saved.” The boy, thinking it was his own Guru who asked for these things, threw them to her and she took them and laughed at him. Then she and her servants prepared to kill him, but he rant to Mayadevi.
Mayadevi turned him into a garland of flowers and put it round her neck. Her mother came laughing and asked, “Is Chandrasingh here?” “No,” said the girl, “you may search my house, but he is not here.” Jwala Rani went back to her swing. The god came out of the lotus again and laughed and said, “Mayadevi has the boy in a garland round her neck.” The Rani went back to her daughter and said, “Why have you deceived me? Throw that garland on the ground.” She did so and the boy stood before her and the Rani cut off his head. She filled a pot with the blood and sent the head and body to Mayadevi saying, “Here is your husband. Look at him and work your love upon him.”
Jwala Rani returned to her swing and presently the god came out of the lotus and laughed and said, “When there is an eclipse of the sun, bathe in this blood and you will become immortal.” But Mayadevi was very sad and wept bitterly. As she wandered through the palace she came to the pond and the god came out of the lotus and laughed and said, “Why are you so sad?” She was angry with him and abused him saying, “You have ruined my life’s happiness.” But the god said, “You do not know who I am. I am he who can light a fire and can put it out. I can make your lover alive again.” The girl said, “How can this be?” The god replied, “There is a great festival in the palace of Indal Raja. Go and dance before him and please him and ask him to make Chandrasingh alive again.”
The girl took the form of Mohani and adorning herself with her best ornaments went to Indal Raja, and danced before him. He was very pleased and when he asked her what she wanted, she fell at his feet and asked him to restore her lover. Now on that very day there was an eclipse of the sun. Jwala Rani was sitting in the courtyard ready for her bath of blood and her women brought the pot and put it before her. Indal Raja sent his messenger to steal it. He put the head and corpse of Chandrasingh together and filled it again with life. Indal Raja then said, “Now you must kill Jwala Rani. Her life is in that swing.”
Chandrasingh and Mayadevi returned to the city crying, “Victory to Indal Raja!” When Jwala Rani heard it, she tried to kill them but Mayadevi stole the necklace, bag and sword and gave them to her lover. He blew the ash over Jwala Rani’s arm of women and they began to dance. Then he broke the swing and set fire to it and as the flames leapt up the Rani’s body caught fire and she died.
Then Mayadevi and Chandrasingh were married and after this men as well as women lived in Mayanagri. In this city every house had its own still and the people there drank the best spirit in the world. Presently the city’s name was changed again and now is called Bara Bathi Bengala.
Source:
Chapter 21, Myths of Middle India, Verrier Elwin, 1949
Kotharian Lightning 