May 9 is celebrated as the birth anniversary of Maharana Pratap, the great Rajput warrior who was born in 1540
Public Holiday
In several states like Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh Maharana Pratap's birth anniversary is celebrated as a public holiday.
He was the 13th King of Mewar dynasty and eldest son of Uday Raj Singh 2, the founder of Udaipur with Chittor as its capital.
'Hero of Rajasthan
As a symbol of Rajput Gallantry, Rana Pratap is honored as the 'Hero of Rajasthan' and 'India's 1st Freedom Fighter' who courageously fought with Mughal emperor Akbar till his last breath.
He used to have an armour of 72 kgs of weight and his spear weighed around 81 kgs.
King's armour
In Haldighati, the fiercest battle ever was fought between the armies of Rana Pratap, Mewar, commanded by Ram Shah and Mughal emperor Akbar's forces led by Raja Mansingh of Amber on June 18, 1576.
About Chetak
His 2 beloved animals; Chetak, a blue-eyed horse and Ramprasad, an elephant, became immortal in the battle of Haldighati to save Rana Pratap.
Although Mughals were able to claim several parts of Mewar, Gogunda, they could not capture Rana Pratap ever.
By his military resistance and guerilla warfare tactics, Rana Pratap defeated Akbar thrice in 1577, 1578 and 1579 & continuously to harass the Mughal emperor for next 12 years. The king was called as Rana Keeka by the Tribes living there.
Battles with Mughals
The great warrior left us in grief on January 29, 1597. After his demise his elder son Amar Singh, became the next ruler of Mewar.
Maharana Pratap memorial, showcasing a bronze statue of the king riding his horse Chetak, is situated at Moti Magari, Pearl hill, Udaipur.
Maharana Pratap memorial
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