Rani Sukadei was born in 1686 A.D to the king of Badamba, Maharaj Balabhadra Bira Bara Mangraj and his queen Maharani Jayanta Debi. Rajkumari Sukadei during her childhood was very playful and inquisitive. Once watching her brother, Rajkumar Fakir Chandra practice sword fighting, she expressed her desire to learn the same to her father. Maharaja agreed to it and arranged tutors to train Rajkumari Sukadei in sword fighting and teach her other warfare skills.
Rajkumari Sukadei married the King of Banki, Maharaja Dhanajay Trilokyanath Harichandan Deb. Their union strengthened the ties between the two princely states, Banki and Badamba. As the queen of Banki, the Rani took keen interest in the welfare of her subjects. The King and Queen visited the Jagannath temple at Puri and on their way back to Banki, they were invited by the King of Khurda, Gajapati Gopinath Deva at his court. It is said that when the Raja and Rani paid a visit to Gajapati. Gajapati at Sukadei's first sight got attracted to her so much so that he planned an attack on Banki in order to woo her as soon as the King and Queen departed for Banki from Khurda.
Battle of Ragadigrama
Raja Dhanajay refused to accede his kingdom to Khurda on Gajapati's demand, thus decided to fight a war with the Gajapati. In the battle of Ragadigrama, the combined armies of Badamba and Banki fought with the army of Khurda. The Gajapati's army still outnumbered the combined armies of the defendants. Raja Dhanajay suffered huge loses at the hands of Gajapati. He was ultimately killed in the battle. When this news reached Sukadei it devastated her but then she got determined to protect her husband's kingdom. Only when the commanders of Banki had accepted defeat. Sukadei emerged and motivated the soldiers and commanders to not to loose hope. She declared that the war is not over and she shall herself lead the army to the battle ground. In the afternoon Sukadei marched with a troop of 700 soldiers towards the Gajapati's camp. Both the armies again met at Ragadigrama. Sukadei single handedly killed several soldiers of the Gajapati's army. She challenged the Gajapati for a fight. Gajapati undermining her abilities stepped down from his horse to fight with her accepting her challenge. The valiant queen defeated the Gajapati and captured her, thus ending the war.
Aftermath
All eyes were fixed on Rani Sukadei's judgement, that she was supposed to give the next day. When everyone expected her to behead the Gajapati as to seek revenge for her husband's death. Rani Sukadei surprised everyone when she came forward and forgave the Gajapati. She said that the she being a widow knows the sufferings attached to the life of a widow, she would not let any other womango through the same and thus let the Gajapati free. It is also said that because the Queen was an epitome of justice and peace, she forgave the Gajapati as she did not wanted to initiate a series of war between Banki and Khurda that would continue for generations, only to seek vengeance,had she punished the Gajapati.
