Vid, Relative of the Rongcha King
Vid was a relative of the Rongcha king. During the grand festival of Pravuti, the king had prepared a lavish feast for his citizens. However, when delays disrupted the ceremony, Vid, impatient and hungry broke protocol and began eating before the feast had officially begun.
This act of disrespect enraged the god-king of Rongcha. As punishment, Vid was banished. He sought refuge in other kingdoms, but fearing the wrath of the god-king, none dared to take him in.
The Marshlands of Khara
Tired and desperate, Vid sailed to the Marshlands of Khara, a sprawling expanse of shallow pools and tall grasses. These wetlands teemed with exotic wildlife, both on land and in the water. But Khara was no paradise.
For outsiders, the land was treacherous. Lethal snakebites were common, and predators lurked in every shadow. Crocodiles glided just beneath the surface, and the very ground was deceptive, rising mere inches above the water. Few dared to venture into Khara, and fewer returned.
Birth of Vidari
During his exile to the Marshlands of Khara, along with his family,Vid adapted to his new life. He cultivated rice, bred fish, harvested animal hides, and gradually mastered the art of pearl harvesting.
His pearls and crops soon became highly sought after across Jivavarta. Local inhabitants of the marshland joined him, eventually appointing him as their king and naming the region Vidari in his honor.
Bridegroom abduction
Despite this success, Vid's family remained ostracized. No noble would marry his daughter, despite her beauty and noble lineage.
Frustrated by endless rejections, King Vid took matters into his own hands. One day, he kidnapped a wealthy merchant and forced him into marriage with his daughter. Thus began a tradition among the Vidari tribes to honor their king Vid through bridegroom abduction. To this day, travelers who wander too deep into Khara sometimes vanish, only to reappear months later with a wife and child.
The Vidari strongly believe in the tides of time. Their philosophy is:
We are all wounded, we are all healers.
Time changes, role changes.
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Vidari Islands were was first introduced in The Timingila.
Jivavarta is a fictional land created by Shon Mehta, where epic tales of power, survival, and social upheaval unfold, as seen in her novels The Timingila and Lair of the Monster, along with many other stories and parables set in this richly imagined world.