Tana Riri Garden

From the Ghaskol gate, drive southwards for about one Km to reach the Tana Riri garden.

Recognise this tune? This familiar tune stirred India in her fight for independence, and was the favourite devotional song of Mahatma Gandhi. It was composed by a 15th century poet-saint, Narsinh Mehta. His poems, simple yet profound, are sung even today. So what is the connection between this song and the monument you see in front of you? A legend that takes us back a few centuries.

This monument is dedicated to two sisters, Tana and Riri, who lived here in the 16th century. Believed to be descendants of Narsinh Mehta, they were known for their remarkable musical gift. Legend has it that their singing could soothe suffering and even heal the sick.

This was the time when Akbar, the Mughal king, ruled the greater part of North and Central India. He was a great patron of fine arts. His court musician was Tansen, till date one of the greatest figures in Hindustani classical music. Tansen’s mastery of raags was so legendary that it was said that his music could even transform the moods of nature.

One day, at Akbar’s court, Tansen performed the raag Deepak, a raag so powerful that it could generate intense heat. As Tansen sang, the air around warmed up and oil lamps flickered to life. But the raag also caused Tansen’s body to burn with a terrible fever. His miracle had turned into a curse.

Now the fever could be cured ONLY by an equally miraculous singing of a cooling raag. Desperate for relief, Tansen scoured the empire for a gifted singer who could perform the raag with the right emotion. Ultimately he located Tana-Riri in Vadnagar. With devotion, they sang raag Malhar, a cooling raag associated with rain. As their voices rose, his fever came down.

Tansen spoke of his miraculous cure to Akbar. Some of Akbar’s men overheard the tale and travelled to Vadnagar in search of the gifted sisters. But the strangers aroused suspicion among the townsfolk and were killed before they could reach Tana and Riri. Soon after, the Mughal army marched toward Vadnagar. The sisters knew that the emperor’s men had come to take them away. Not wanting their town to suffer the emperor’s wrath, Tana and Riri chose to sacrifice their own lives.

Vadnagar never forgot their courage. The memorials you see here honour Tana and Riri. Nearby, you can also see a statue of Tansen, lost in his music.

Every year, Vadnagar celebrates the Tana Riri Mahotsav, a music festival that brings together classical musicians from across India. The festival has even made it to the Guinness World Records when in 2016, hundreds of musicians performed together in the largest harmonium ensemble ever recorded.