The Essence

Jauhar is perhaps the most somber and revered tradition in Rajput history. It refers to the mass self-immolation by women and children of the Rajput clans to avoid capture, enslavement, and rape at the hands of foreign invaders when defeat was imminent. The women would dress in their wedding finery and step into a massive fire pit, while the men would don saffron robes and ride out for the Saka (fight to the death).