Jauhar

Jauhar (also spelled jowhar) is the self-immolation of queens and female royals of the Rajput kingdoms of India, when facing defeat at the hands of an enemy. The roots of this practice lie in the internecine warfare among different Rajput clans. The most famous Jauhars in recorded history have occurred at the end of Rajput battles with Muslim empires. It was followed by females and children of the Rajput clans in order to avoid capture, enslavement and rape at the hands of invaders. The term also describes the practice of mass suicide carried out in medieval times by Rajput women to save their honor from invaders. The term is derived from two Sanskrit words, Jau or Jiv meaning "life" and Har meaning "to take" added together means to take one's own life. Jivhar was later conflated with the Arabic word Jawhar meaning "mettle", "jewel" or "property". In the palaces of the maharanas there was a special room of Jauhar that is called as "Jauhar Kund" before the johar they speak the slogan "jai bhavani", (bhavani is an another name for durga maa) and give their handprints in the wall surrounded by the jawhar kund.