The Story of Arjuna and Chitrangada

During Arjuna's personal exile to serve his punishment for having broken a promise, he travelled the whole of India extensively. It was on one such trip that Arjuna went to the ancient town of Manipura, a mystic city known for its natural beauty.

The story of Arjuna and Chitrangada begins here. Chitravahana was then the king of Manipur. He always wanted a son but was given a daughter by the Gods. He named her Chitrangada and raised her to be a warrior princess, tough and fearless, not shying away from any battles.

During one such hunt, she captured the handsome Arjuna who was impressed by her war skills. Chitrangada, in turn was impressed by Arjuna’s charismatic charm, fighting skill and prowess but was afraid that he would reject her because of her manly behavior. She prayed to Kama Deva, the god of love to make her more feminine and beautiful and thus adorned, approached Arjuna. The gambit worked and Arjuna soon found himself falling head over heels in love with the warrior princess.

Manipur was under attack. Her citizens cried out for their warrior princess to save them. For the first time, Arjuna was galvanized by the woman who seemed to be his equal when it comes to fighting. Arjuna was further amazed by the true self of Chitraganda and found himself even deeper in love. Without further ado, he married Chitraganda and their union was blessed with a son they named Babruvahana.

The union of Arjun and Chitrangada, thus, was not just bounded within the periphery of physical attraction or that of lust. Chitrangada loved Arjuna for who he was, the noble, charismatic and talented warrior princess. Arjuna, in turn was not only attracted to Chitrangada’s beauty but also to her passion, her bravery and her desire to take up arms and answer the plea of her people in need. The couple loved each other for who they were, not who they pretended to be.

This delightful tale of desire and unmatched love has long since inspired traditional Indian artisans and craftsmen in creating exquisite masterpieces in the form of statues, paintings and many other such expressions. At Artisanscrest, our team of artisans have immortalized this tale in both stone and wood, capturing a fleeting moment of love and highlighting the heady feeling of being in complete sync through body, mind and soul with another being.

Our dedicated teams of artisans work closely with our clients in order to create exquisite masterpieces customized and suited to each customer’s individual needs. Get in touch with us today and co-create your own exquisite masterpiece and own a little piece of the great Indian artistic tradition.