The place where Krishna kidnapped Rukmini

“My bounty is as boundless as the sea,
My love as deep; the more I give to thee,
The more I have, for both are infinite”,

This is what Shakespeare said in his tragedy Romeo and Juliet about love.

Here the protagonists Romeo and Juliet “hopelessly” fall in love and nothing, including death, will come in the way. This play by Shakespeare was written in the 16th century England.

Though the story of Romeo and Juliet was based on a real-life incident in Italy, it seemed to have been played out many many centuries earlier by India’s most romantic couple in love-Krishna and Rukmini.

The love story of  Krishna and Rukmini is the stuff of legends and even today almost every Indian remembers it. If Krishna is the hero, Rukmini the demure heroine, there are several villians woven into the true-life story.

Krishna elopes with Rukmini on the day of her marriage. Rukmini comes to a temple just before the marriage ceremony. Krishna comes in his chariot and carries her off.

But did you know that the temple where Rukmini went and from where she was taken away by Krishna still exists. It is in Amaravathi, one of the largest cities of Maharashtra.

This is the temple of Amba Devi. It is situate n the heart of the bustling city.

Rukmini is the daughter of King Bhishmak of Vidarbha. Since he is a vassal of  Jarasandha of  Magadha, an enemy of Krishna.

Rukmini hears of Krishna and madly falls in love with Krishna.  Rukmi is dead set against this marriage and fixes her marriage with Sishupala.

Rukmini then secretly sends a message to Krishna asking him to take her away. (The messenger is a Brahamana called Sunanda. He carried this message to Krishna at Dwaraka who at once sets off for Koundinyapura. By the way, in 1480 AD, the Brahamana messenger-Sunanda-was reborn in the world as Varidaraja Theertha, the saint of Sode. He wrote the beautiful book Rukminisa Vijaya.) Krishna then comes to the complex of Amba Devi and Ekvira from where he  “kidnaps her”.

Though it has many temples, even today Amravathi is  known for the Amba Devi and Ekvira temples. A tunnel can still be seen today at the temple and it runs upto nearby Koundinyapura.

Koundinyapura was the capital of  Vidarbha under Bhismak and even today locals point out a mound which is believed to contain its ruins.

Amravathi is well-connected by both road and rail networks.