Name: __________________________________________

Yr. and Section: ____________________________

Date: __________________

Group IV: TWO GREAT LOVE STORIES FROM INDIA

I. The Story of Mumtaz Mahal
Write the letter of your answer on the blank before each number.
______________1. What is the name of the Prince before he was crowned as King?
______________2. What is the name of the King after inheriting the throne?
______________3. What is the birth name of the Princess who is later on married to the King
(before he gave her the name Mumtaz Mahal)
______________4. What is the meaning of Mumtaz Mahal?
______________5. Despite being the Kings favorite, what is the placement of Mumtaz Mahal in the
Kings Harem/Wives? (1st, 2nd,etc.)
______________6. Give at least 2 out of 4 things Mumtaz does with her husband, the King.
______________7.
______________8. After giving birth to her ____th son, Mumtaz Mahal died in childbirth.
______________9. What was the two promises of the King to Mumtaz Mahal on her death bed?
______________10.
______________11. How many years did it take to finish the mausoleum?
______________12. How many people did it take to finish the mausoleum?
______________13. Where was Mumtaz Mahals body placed when the mausoleum was built?
______________14.What is the name of the mausoleum?
______________15.What is the famous world competition wherein the mausoleum became part of?
II. The Story of Savitri
Arrange the events of the story in chronological order by numbering it in descending order (1 10).
________ Savitri fell in love with Satyavan.
________ Yama gave back Satyavan to Savitri.
________ Ashvapati told his beloved daughter that she must seek out a husband.
________ The God of Death came himself to see Savitri.
________ Still solid with her resolve to marry, she did.
________ Savitri was granted 3 boons by Yama.
________ Satyavan requested to rest and died in the lap of Savitri.
________ The King consulted with the sage and Narada foretold the death of Satyavan.
________ Savitri moved in to the forest to help her husband and his family.
________ There was a zone of fire surrounding Savitri, and not one of the emissaries of death
come within it.
III. Comparison
Enumerate 3 similarities that is found in the two Indian love story.
1.
2.
3.
Enumerate 2 differences (4-5) that is found in the two Indian love story.
4.
5.

Narrator: Somewhere in Persia, around fifteen hundreds (1500), a noble princess named Arjumand Banu
Begum was born. She grew with enthralling beauty that it caught the eye of Prince Khurram. It was love at first
sight. After a few years, she became betrothed to him.
5 years after, they were married. Prince Khurram changed names to Shah Jahan when he became king.
Arjumands name was also changed. King Shah gave her the name Mumtaz Mahal, meaning Jewel of the
Palace. He also bestowed upon her the highest honor of the land the royal seal, Mehr Uzaz. Mumtaz Mahal,
despite being the most favored, was not the first wife. Before her were Akbarabadj Mahal and Kandahari
Mahal. The first two marriages were not of the heart but for politics.
Mumtaz Mahal, except for being the compassionate and beautiful wife of the king, she was his trusted
companion and traveled with him all over the Mughal Empire. The two of them would go together hunting,
judging, counseling, and attend and watch regular combat fights.
One day, she volunteered to read to all the children of the palace of a story; a legend.

(INSERT THE STORY OF SAVITRI)

Narrator: This story is taken from Indias great epic Mahabharata. There was a king called Ashvapati. The king
had a daughter called Savitri, who was so good and beautiful. When she grew old enough, he called his
daughter to the throne room.
Ashvapati: Daughter, it is time you choose a husband for yourself. It has always been a tradition that ancient
Indian princesses are to choose their own princely suitors.
Savitri: I understand father. I shall travel and come back as soon as I find the one that would be my husband.
Narrator: And it is so. Savitri travelled in distant regions and seeing different prince, but not one of them could
win the heart of Savitri. She came at last to a holy hermitage in one of the forests in ancient India were no
animals were allowed to kill. The animals lost the fear of man- even the fish in the lakes came and took food
out of the hand. Not even the greatest empire could pass by the hermitage without going to pay homage to the
sages. Then, Savitri came along a young man and her heart was immediately conquered.
Satyavan: Excuse me, may I help you?
Savitri: Hello. I am a travelling princess, seeking out my love. May I ask who you are?
Satyavan: My name is Satyavan, dear princess. I am the son of the previous King Dyumatsena. Please follow
me to my familys hermitage. Rest for a while before resuming your journey.
Narrator: And Satyavans family welcomed the princess and treated her with respect. It was no wonder
Satyavan also fell in love with Savitris beauty and kind heartedness. She explained to him that she needs to
go back home but will be back with the blessing of her father. They bid each other goodbye and went their
separate ways.
Savitri:Father! Father! I have found my husband.
Ashvapati: Tell me, my daughter, who is the man that you will spend the rest of your life with?
Savitri: He is a lost kingdoms prince. He lives with his family and his father was the previous King
Dyumatsena.

Narrator: After his talk with his beloved daughter, the King went to his friend and the sage, Narada, to seek for
advise.
Ashvapati: My friend, will my daughter find happiness with this man Satyavan?
Narada: I am afraid that I bear you ill news, my King. Within twelve months from this time the young man will
die.
Narrator: The king was struct with horror and quickly went to find his daughter.
Ashvapati: My daughter, this young is going to die in twelve months, you will become the widow: think of that.
Desist from your choice, my child, you shall never be married to a short-lived and fated bridge groom.
Savitri: Never mind father; do not ask me to marry another person and sacrifice the chastity of mind, for I love
and have accepted in my mind that good and brave Satyavan only as my husband. A maiden chooses only
once, and she never departs from her troth.
Ashvapati: Very well. We shall hold the wedding at once.
Narrator: And so it was. Satyavan and Savitri were wed and she went from the palace of her father into the
forest, to live with her father into the forest to live with her chosen husband, and help her husbands parents.
Savitri knew the exact date when Satyavan was to die and she kept it hidden from him. Thus their lives went
on until the fatal day came near, and three short days remained only. She took a severe vow of three nights
penance and holy fasts, and kept her heart vigils. Savitri spent sorrowful and sleepless nights with fervent
prayers and unseen tears, till the dreaded morning dawned.
Satyavan: My love, I have to go and pick some herbs for my mother and father. Will you come with me?
Savitri: I will follow wherever you go dear husband.
Narrator: Suddenly in faltering accent he complained to his wife of feeling faint.
Satyavan: My head is dizzy and my sense reel, dear Savitri, I feel sleep stealing over me, let me rest beside
you for a while.
Savitri: Come, lay your head upon my lap.
Narrator: He laid his burning head in the lap of his wife, and ere long sighed and expired. Clasping him to her,
her eyes flowing with tears, there sat in the lonesome forest, until the emissaries of death approached to take
away the soul of Satyavan. But they could not come near to the place where Savitri sat with the dead body of
her husband. There was a zone of fire surrounding her, and not one of the emissaries of death come within it.
They fled back from it, returned to king Yama, the God of Death, and told him why they could not obtain the
soul of this man. Yama was the first man that died the first man that died on the earth- and he had become
the presiding deity over all those that die. He judge whether, after a man that has died, he is punished or
rewarded. So he came himself. Of course, he would go inside the charmed circle, as he was a god.
Yama: Daughter, give up this dead body, for know death is the fate of mortals, and I am the first of mortals
who died. Since then, everyone had to die. Death is the fate of man.
Narrator: Thus told Savitri walked off, and Yama drew the soul out. Yama having himself of the soul of the
young man proceeded on his way. Before he had gone far, he heard the footfalls upon the dried leaves.
Yama: Savitri, daughter, why are you following me? This is the fate of all mortals.

Savitri: I am not following you, my lord, but this is also the fate of women, she follows her love take her and
the eternal law not separating loving man and faithful wife.
Yama: Your answer pleased me, ask for any boom, expect your husband life
Savitri: If you pleased to grant a boom, O Lord of Death, I ask that my father in law may be cured of his
blindness and made him happy.
Yama: And it shall be done.
Narrator: Yama granted the boon and again travelled with the soul of Satyavan. Again the same footfall was
heard from behind.
Yama: Savitri, my daughter, you still following me.
Savitri: Yes my Lord; I cannot help doing so, I am trying all the time to go back, but the mind goes after my
husband and the body follows. The soul has already gone, for in that soul is also mine; and when you take the
soul, the body follows, does it not?
Yama: Pleased am I with your words, fair Savitri. Ask another boom of me, but it must not me the life of your
husband.
Savitri: Let my father in law regain his lost wealth and kingdom, Lord, if you pleased to grant another
supplication.
Yama: Loving daughter, this boon I now bestow, but return home, for living mortal cannot go with Yama
Narrator: And Yama pursed his way. But Savitri, meek and faithful, still followed her departed husband. Yama
again turned back.
Yama: Noble Savitri, follow not in hapless woe.
Savitri: I cannot choose but follow where you take my beloved one.
Yama: Then suppose, Savitri that your husband was a sinner and has to go to hell. In that case goes Savitri
with the one she loves?
Savitri: Glad I am to follow where he goes, be it life or death, heaven or hell
Yama: Blessed are your words, my child, pleased am I with you, ask yet another boom, but the dead come
not to life again.
Savitri: Since you permit me, then, let the imperial line of my father-in law be not destroyed; let his kingdom
descend to Satyavans son.
Narrator: And then the God of Death smiled.
Yama: My daughter your desire fails the death, here is soul of your husband, he shall live again. He shall live
to be a father and your children also shall reign in due course. Return home. Love has conquered Death!
Woman never loved like you and you proved that even I, the God of Death, am powerless against the power of
the true love.

Narrator: Mumtaz Mahal smiled as she closed her book and ushered the children to sleep.
It was in 1630 that Mumtaz Mahal accompanied Shah Jahan who was fighting a campaign in the Deccan
Plateau. Little did she know that this was the last journey that she would ever take as soon after, she died in
1631, a year after the fighting campaign, while giving birth to their 14th child.
While Mumtaz was on her deathbed, Shah Jahan promised her two things: The first was that he would never
remarry and second, he will build the richest mausoleum over her grave.
It is believed that such was the level of devastation that Shah Jahan was inconsolable that his long hair turned
white as snow. The remains of his were temporarily buried in Burhanpur while the world's richest mausoleum in
memory of his Jewel was being built.
It took 22 years and the labor of 22,000 workers to construct the monument.
Shah Jahan died in 1666 and his body was placed in a tomb next to the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal. This
magnificent monument came to be known as "Taj Mahal" and now counts amongst the Seven Wonders of the
World.

Characters:
Narrator
Savitri
Satyavan
Ashvapati
Yama, the God of Death
Narada, the sage

Mumtaz Mahal
Shah Jahan
Children to whom Mumtaz will read the story of Savitri to -