Maharana Pratap Jayanti Special

Maharana Pratap Jayanti, according to the English calendar, falls on May 9 every year. However, the Hindu calendar shows the warrior king’s birth anniversary on the Tritiya tithi of Jyeshtha’s Shukla Paksha, and hence is being celebrated on June 13 this time. Maharana Pratap was born in a Rajput family on May 9, 1540. His father, Udai Singh II was the 12th ruler of the Mewar dynasty and the founder of Udaipur. Pratap, the eldest child in the family, had three brothers and two stepsisters. Regarded as one of the strongest warriors in Indian history, Maharana Pratap was 2.26 metres (7 feet 5 inches) tall. He would wear a body armour of 72 kilograms (kg) and carry a spear of 81kg. Maharana Pratap is known for his military resistance against the expansionism of the Mughal empire and his crucial role in the Battle of Haldighati and the Battle of Dewair. He had defeated Mughal emperor Akbar thrice - in 1577, 1578 and 1579. Maharana Pratap had 11 wives and 17 children. His eldest son, Maharana Amar Singh 1, became his successor and was the 14th king of the Mewar dynasty. Maharana Pratap died at the age of 56 on January 19, 1597, after he was injured in a hunting accident.