Kathmandu: India on Tuesday organised a wreath laying ceremony in Nepal to commemorate the?136th death anniversary of Begum Hazrat Mahal, who had rebelled against British colonial rule in the country in 1857-58.
Piyush Srivastava, Charge d' Affaires of Embassy of India, laid a wreath on the tomb of Mahal at a mosque in Bagh Bazar, Kathmandu.
Srivastava recalled the contributions of Mahal for India's freedom-struggle.
Begum Hazrat Mahal was the wife of then ruler of Awadh (Uttar Pradesh), Nawab Wajid Ali Shah.
She was an Indian freedom fighter who rebelled against the British East India Company during the India's first struggle for freedom in 1857.
After her husband was exiled to Calcutta, she took charge of the affairs in the state of Awadh and seized control of Lucknow.
She also arranged for her son, Prince Birjis Qadra, to become Wali (ruler) of Awadh; however, he was forced to abandon this role after a short reign.
She finally found asylum in Nepal where she died on April 7, 1879.
Begum was buried in the courtyard of the 'Hindustani Masjid', the mosque she had built for her followers.
