Gandhari's mud elephant: the Mewati origin of the feud

Variant

The Mahabharata war begins over a broken clay elephant, sung by Muslim and Hindu Jogis of Mewat.

In Pandun ka Kada, sung by Jogi and Meo communities of Mewat, Gorakhnath takes disciples to Hastinapur to show worldly life. The feud starts not with the dice game but with Gandhari and Kunti competing in worship: Gandhari has a large mud elephant made, Kunti has Arjuna bring Airavata from Indra. Bhima, taking Airavata to bathe in the Jamuna, breaks Gandhari's mud elephant; she taunts Duryodhana and the feud begins. Meos trace descent to Arjuna.

Who: Gandhari, Kunti, Bhima, Arjuna, Gorakhnath

Bound to

Death in the Forest Fire mirror

Places: Mewat (Haryana/Rajasthan)

Where this comes from

folk-oral · Sahapedia: 'Pandun ka Kada: A Fascinating Tradition in Fraught Times' over 2,500 dohas in Mewati

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