In Pics: Erasing the Khilji-Padmavati Mirror Legend in Chittorgarh

“Padmavati was an honourable woman. She would have never shown her face to Alauddin Khilji”.

Chittorgarh has been the epicentre of protests against Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s film, Padmavati. The Quint travelled to Chittorgarh to meet protesters, guides and tourists to find out their thoughts on the month-long agitation against the release of the film.

The anti-Padmavati demonstrators have resorted to a number of measures to protest the film, accusing it of being disrespectful to Rajput history. Members of the Sarv Samaj, for example, have been protesting since 1 November to keep the film from hitting the big screen.

On the road to Chittorgarh fort, we spotted children holding up stickers demanding a ban on the film. Several of these children also stopped cars that made their way to the fort and stuck the posters on the vehicles.

In order to avoid any untoward incident, the Archeological Survey of India has reportedly covered a plaque outside the Rani Padmini Mahal in Chittorgarh.

The plaque in question details the lore of the Palace, which is believed to be where Alauddin Khilji saw Rani Padmini’s reflection and became obsessed with possessing her. It is important to mention that the plaque calls.

Legend has it that Khilji saw Padmini’s reflection from the fort on the left, while she stood on the staircase of Padmini Mahal.

The ‘room of mirrors’, from where Khilji reportedly saw Rani Padmini’s reflection, was locked after protests broke out ahead of the film’s release.

The controversy around the film has clearly piqued public interest in the region, as tourists are flocking to the palace to understand what the hullabaloo is about.

Narendar Singh, the President of Guides Association in Chittorgarh, dismissed the mirror theory. Khilji came to expand his empire and not for Rani Padmini, he says.

Tour guides say the Sarv Samaj has persuaded them to refrain from talking about the mirror legend during tours. They have also been asked to stop selling tourist guides that mention the lore.