| Briddhi Lakshmi | |
|---|---|
| Queen Consort of Bhaktapur | |
| Predecessor | Vishva Lakshmi |
| Successor | Position abolished |
| Queen regent of Thimi and Banepa | |
| Tenure | c.1740 — c.1742 |
| Predecessor | Position established |
| Successor | Position abolished |
| Born | Unknown Bettiah, Bettiah Raj (Present day Bihar, India) |
| Died | Unknown Kingdom of Bhaktapur, Nepal (Present day Bagmati Province, Nepal) |
| Spouse | Ranajit Malla (m. 1712) |
| Issue | Bira Narasingha Malla (Devendra Malla) |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Signature |  |
Briddhi Lakshmi (Nepal Bhasa: 𑐰𑐺𑐡𑑂𑐢𑐶𑐮𑐎𑑂𑐲𑑂𑐩𑐷) was the queen consort of the Kingdom of Bhaktapur (modern day Bhaktapur, Nepal), the first wife of Ranajit Malla and a Newar language poet.[1] For a brief period, she and her two-year-old son was also the monarch of an independent Thimi and Nala.[2] She is today mostly remembered for the songs and poems she composed, some of which are still sung today by traditional Dapha groups in Thimi.[3]
She was born in a noble family in Bettiah, in modern-day India and had a brother named Murāri Rāya.[4] In 1712, an envoy was sent from Bhaktapur to fetch her to the kingdom and marry her to the crown prince Ranajit Malla. Although she was extremely well-loved by the populace of the kingdom, she found herself more isolated in the palace. After failing to provide a male heir, she found herself replaced by Jaya Lakshmi, a favourite concubine of Ranajit Malla. By the time she gave birth to Devendra Malla, Jaya Lakshmi's eldest son had already reached maturity.[5] The people in the kingdom wanted her newborn to be the crown prince, since she was the queen consort, however, Jaya Lakshmi who held significant power in the palace was against this idea and so she found herself in a precarious situation. After her followers in the palace were assassinated one by one, she fled to Thimi with her infant son and the populace of Thimi soon after her arrival declared Thimi as an independent state from the Kingdom of Bhaktapur with her son as their sovereign.[6]
She was a prolific poet and songwriter in the Newar language. Only six of her works survive today, however, preserved by traditional singing groups in Thimi.[3] Her poem, "𑐎 𑐏 𑐫𑐵 𑐩𑑂𑐫𑐾" (ka kha yā mye), which she composed when she and her infant's safety was compromised in the palace, is considered one of the greatest works in the Newar language.[3]
- ^ Tuladhar, Prem Shanti (2000). Nepal Bhasa Sahitya ya Itihasa (in Newari). Nepal Bhasa Academy. p. 54.
- ^ Regmi 2007, p. 247.
- ^ a b c Tuladhar, Prem Shanti (2000). Nepal Bhasa Sahitya ya Itihasa (in Newari). Nepal Bhasa Academy. p. 54.
- ^ Bajrācārya 1989, p. 1.
- ^ Dhaubhadel 2020, p. 32.
- ^ Regmi 2007, p. 248.