Who Aja is
Aja, son of King Raghu, set out as a young prince for the svayamvara of Indumati, princess of Vidarbha, and on the way freed a gandharva from a curse. At the svayamvara Indumati passed by every other king and placed the garland on Aja, who then defeated the jealous rivals. He ruled Ayodhya with her in great happiness, until a celestial garland falling from the sky struck her dead. Kalidasa's lament of Aja is one of the most celebrated passages of Sanskrit poetry; he lived on only until their son Dasharatha could rule.
“I won a princess’s garland once. Today I play for honour.”
How Aja plays chess
Romantic and devoted: an elegant, heartfelt game that falters after a great loss.
The Classicist: Sound, balanced chess: develops, castles and takes what the position offers.
Opening repertoire: Italian, Classical (Main) · English, Four Knights (Romanishin) · Queen's Gambit, Semi-Tarrasch (Quiet)
Defeat Aja in a full game from the normal starting position to earn the achievement The Garland and open the way to the next guardian.
Sources
- Kalidasa, Raghuvamsha, Cantos 5–8
Placement on the path reflects chess difficulty only — a game-design choice, not a ranking of anyone's spiritual standing.