Meghdootam

This beautiful Sanskrit poem was composed by the famous poet Kalidasa in the month of ashadha as per Hindu calendar (roughly mid June-July). Coincidently this composition also got composed in June-July 2020.

Yaksha was cursed by his Lord Kubera and was supposed to remain in exile for one year. Yaksha hence lived at the foothills of Ramgiri Mountain in Panchvati near the banks of Godavari River (Where Lord Rama accompanied with his wife Mata Sita and Laxman stayed during vanvas). In the month of ashada – monsoon season due to separation from his beloved wife, he writes a letter (Sanskrit poem) requesting a giant elephant shaped Lord of clouds (Megh) to deliver his message to his beloved. Hence Lord of clouds becomes a messenger of Love and delivers this message (Meghdootam poem) to the wife of Yaksha.

Here I have tried to dramatize the scene from this beautiful Sanskrit poem highlighting Zalawari culture and architecture of pre independence era of Saurashtra region of Gujarat.

Note: peacock being bird of monsoon is believed to communicate with clouds to rain; hence here it requests Lord of clouds accompanied by the queen to deliver her reply message to her husband. This entire conversation is the poem itself.

Location inspired from: Dhangadhra, Halar region.