From courtesan to queen and then empress of religion: Begam Samru

Today, I will take you to a small former state of India, Sardhna, which is now a small town near the Indian Capital Delhi, where I went for a Sunday mass a couple of weeks ago. Sardhna was a small state during the British period. But this story is about Begum Samru, who was earlier a courtesan of Chandni Chowk Delhi's brothel.

  

Basilica of Our Lady of Grace

The real name of that 14-year-old beautiful dancer was Farzana. Later she married a French soldier, Walter Sombre, in 1767, who was fighting the British on behalf of the Mughals, and he regularly used to visit her place to watch her dance.

I may have used a little fiction in my above story, but she indeed made dancing her profession there. Soon they were in love, and Farzana, a dancer, became the wife of Walter Sombre.

Farzana appreciated Samru's way of fighting against the British in favor of the Mughals, and she also started fighting against the British along with Walter. In the meantime, the Mughal emperor declared Walter the Jaghirdar of Sardhana.

After Walter died in 1778, Farzana took over as the ruler of Sardhana. She ruled effectively as a Jagirdar of Sardhana and then converted to Christianity. In 1822, she built a magnificent Catholic church in memory of her husband.

Today this church is the only basilica in this area in the name of 'Our Lady of Graces'. In 1957, Archbishop Evangelisti installed the image of Mother Mary blessed by the Pope here.

  
Dear Stimians, Christians consider Sardhana Church as the pilgrimage place of Mother Mary of Grace. It is believed that Mother Mary fulfills the wishes of the devotees. This church built by Begum Samru was given the status of a small basilica by Pope John 23 in 1961. This status is given to historical and grand churches. Special prayers are held every year in Sardhana Church due to the miraculous picture of Mother Mary of Grace.

Let me accept that I go to this church as and when possible. Many locals later converted to Christianity by the inspiration of Farzana when they heard about her bravery and saw that beautiful church in their area, which was built by Farzana.

It was an amazing story about a poor girl born into the family of Latif Khan in Kotana village of Baghpat who had gone to Delhi with her mother after being harassed by the atrocities of her stepbrothers.

Sardhana Church is the second pilgrimage place of Mother Mary of Grace in the world after Italy. The historical church of Sardhana was completed in 11 years. The miraculous idol of Mother Mary of Grace in the church of Begum Samru's state, Sardhana, fulfills every wish of the petitioners. It is believed that if one prays with a true heart while standing in front of this miraculous picture of Mother Mary, then Mary listens to the petitioner.

  
In the year 1955, a local archbishop, JB Ivanje Listi, went to Italy and talked to the people of Leghorn in Tuscany province. There is a shrine to the 'Mother of Graces' on the hill of Montenegro near the city of Leghorn. He wanted a replica of this miraculous picture of the mother for the church of Sardhana.

After this, he got the picture made by local artists. Both the gold crowns on the heads of the mother and the child in the picture were gifts from the people of Leghorn. When the Archbishop went to meet Saint Pope Pius XII on September 25, 1955, he took this picture with him.

When JB Ivanje Listi expressed his desire to start this shrine to the Pope, he agreed and, after bowing to the picture, gave his permission and said that he would pray that Mother Mary remains kind to the people of India.

Now everyone knows that Begum Samru, who built the church of Sardhana, Farzana, daughter of Latif Ali, married Walter Sombre, the commander of the king of Bharatpur, also known as Samru according to Muslim rituals.

After Samru's death, Farzana Begum adopted the Catholic religion. She changed her name to Johanna. Incidentally, her palace was converted into a school for girls after her death.