RAJA HARISH CHANDER WAS A FIRST HINDI MOVIE IN INDIA. THE STAMPS ISSUED AS ON 30.05 1989 ON OCCASION OF 75 YEARS OF INDIAN CINEMA.

STORY OF KING HARISH CHANDER

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KING HARISH CHANDER SAW IN HIS DREAM THAT A GREAT SAINT HAD COME IN THE ROYAL PALACE ,IN DREAM ,HE GAVE HIS WHOLE KINGDOM TO HIM CHARITY . NEXT DAY WHEN HE WAS SITTING IN HIS COURT, MAHRISHI VASHWAMITRA CAME THERE.HE ASKED THE KING TO GIVE HIS DAKSHNA (CHARITY FUND ).

THE KING RECOLLECTED THAT HE WAS THE SAME SAINT WHOM HE HAD SEEN IN HIS DREAM. HE STOOD UP WITH FOLDED HANDS. HE SAID TO THE MINISTER, "GIVE GOLD COINS TO THE MAHRISHI FROM THE ROYAL TREASURE." VISHWAMITRA SAID ,"OH KING ! YOU HAVE GIVEN THE WHOLE KINGDOM IN CHARITY. SO ,NOW YOU HAVE NO RIGHT ON THE ROYAL TREASURY. YOU CAN NOT GIVE CHARITY FROM IT."

KING HARISH CHANDER THOUGHT A WHILE. HE DECIDED TO SELL HIMSELF FOR COLLECTING CHARITY. HE REACHED KASHI. THERE HE WANDERED IN THE STREETS TO SELL HIMSELF.BUT SO FAR HE COULD GET NO BUYER.

BEING COMPELLED BY HIS CIRCUMSTANCES ,HE SOLD HIS WIFE AND SON TO A BRAHMAN. HE SOLD HIMSELF TO A SWEEPER. HE GAVE THE MONEY HE GOT BY SELLING HIS WIFE, SON AND HIMSELF AS CHARITY TO VISHWAMITRA.

NOW QUEEN HAD TO CLEAN UTENSILS AS MAID- SERVANT IN THE BRAHMAN'S HOUSE. KING HARISH CHANDRA HAD TO GUARD THE CREMATION GROUND, TAKING A STICK IN HIS HAND. HE TOOK TAX FROM THOSE PERSONS WHO CAME THERE TO BURN THE DEAD BODIES. THEY HAD TO BEAR THE REBUKE OF THEIR MASTERS.

ONE DAY KING'S SON HAD GONE TO PLUCK FLOWERS. A SNAKE STUNG HIM AND HE DIED. QUEEN WAS MUCH GRIEVED, SHE DID NOT KNOW WHEREABOUTS OF HER HUSBAND. SHE TOOK HER SON'S DEAD BODY IN HER LAP AND STRTED TO THE CREMATION GROUND .

WHEN SHE REACHED THE CREMATION GROUND, THERE SEVERAL DEAD BODIES WERE ALREADY BURNING. IN THE BEGINNING HARISH CHANDER DID NOT RECOGNISE QUEEN. WHEN LATER HE KNEW THAT IT WAS HIS WIFE WHO HAD COME THERE WITH THE DEAD BODY OF THEIR SON ,HE WAS MUCH GRIEVED.

EVEN AT THIS TIME OF CALAMITY, HE DID NOT MOVE THE LEAST FROM DISCHARGING HIS DUTY. HE ASKED QUEEN FOR THE TAX OF THE CREMATION GROUND. QUEEN HAD NOTHING, SHE REQUESTED HIM MUCH NOT TO TAKE THE TAX, BUT HE WAS NOT THE LEAST MOVED . HE SAID ,"I CAN NOT DECEIVE MY MASTER. IF YOU HAVE NOTHING, THEN TEAR HALF OF YOUR SAREE (DRESS )  AND GIVE IT TO ME. I WILL ACCEPT IT AS A TAX.

WEEPING AND CRYING ,THE QUEEN BEGAN TO TEAR HALF OF THE SAREE SHE WAS WEARING. JUST THEN THERE WAS LOUD THUNDERING IN THE SKY AND VISHWAMITRA APPEARED. HE SAID TO HARISH CHANDRA ,OH KING ! I WAS TESTING YOU. YOU HAVE SUCCEEDED IN THE TEST OF BEING TRUTHFUL AND DOING YOUR DHARAM .IN REALITY, YOU ARE TRUTHFUL. HENCE KING HARISH CHANDER GOT BACK HIS KINGDOM.