Kalidasa is the most celebrated Indian Classical Sanskrit writer, playwright, and poet. A majority of historians and scholars believe that most of his work was created between the 4th and the 5th century CE. His poetry and plays are primarily based on ancient Indian texts and scriptures including the Vedas, the Puranas, the Mahabharata, and the Ramayana. There are many theories pertaining to his ancestry, where he lived, and how he became such a talented writer.
The most popular folklore is – Kalidasa was born with some mental issues because of which even after growing up he had the mental capabilities of a 7-8 year old child. The local princess of the kingdom in which he lived was an arrogant woman who perceived herself to be really intelligent and vowed only to marry an equally intelligent man. She rejected and insulted several men (some of whom were powerful princes from the neighboring kingdoms) before rejecting their marriage proposals. To avenge the insult they got her married to Kalidasa, the most foolish man they could find in the town, against her wishes.
After the marriage, the princess started abusing Kalidasa on a daily basis, cursing him for all her miseries. This made him run away from the palace to take shelter in a Kali temple (Kali is a fierce feminine Hindu deity), which was located deep in the middle of a forest. One night Kali appeared in front of him and gave him the boon of wisdom, making him the wisest, most gifted scholar of that time.
Most of Kalidasa’s work couldn’t be preserved with the passage of time but his legacy survived in the form of three plays – Abhijnana Shakuntalam, Malavikagnimitra, and Vikramorvashi. And three poems – Raghuvamsa, Meghaduta, and Kumarasambhava.