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| Jodhpur - The Desert Flower | |||
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 he call of the hills is commanding, the call of the sea is enchanting, but the call of the desert is seductively inviting. And if something as beautiful as a lone flower in a barren desert, rich in colours, proud in heritage is the cause celebre, can one resist an impulse to travel?
Once upon a time this region of Marwar was known as the land of death. But the difficult terrain could not deter the undaunted spirit of the Rathors who peopled this inhospitable rocky extravaganza. They celebrated life to such an extent through their deeds of valour, songs of pride, forts of valiant glory and palaces of speaking stones, that the fierceness of death pales into insignificance before the indomitable spirit of life. Past the narrow lanes as you drive by, heavily turbaned and thickly mustachioed men with colourful turbans, remind one of the hoary past. The road starts winding itself round the solid rock formation on which stands Mehrangarh fort. The plains below were the scenes of many battles. The desert wilderness is soaked in the blood of thousands of proud, defiant Rajputs. To them, freedom and independence were more meaningful than mere life. What was built on the hills signifies a spirit of awesome splendour. In its sheer look it appears unconquerable. It has wrapped the hill on which it stands like an eagle picking up its prey. No wonder the chinha (sign) of the rulers was the predatory bird - cheel (eagle). 
The fort travels along the gigantic bastions, goes round past the visibly menacing canons, rises up the fortress - palace structure and gets lost in the voices rising from the chattris and carved jharokhas. As you alight below the fort, its size and reach appear alarming. The walls are six meters to 36m high and three meters to 21m wide! On a hoarding is scribbled Kipling's outburst on seeing the fort - "a work of angels, fairies and giants". Below, down below, the immensely peopled city appears an orderly confusion of houses and streets. Most of the houses are either stark white or bluish white. The latter signified in the past the house of a goldsmith. Marwaris still keep gold in canisters!
Jey Pol is the grand entrance to this fort. Beside the gate, high on the wall are remnants of a pulley - used to draw water for the residents. Once inside, there is a memorial in the form of a chhatri to Kirat Singh Sodha, a war-hero who defended Mehrangarh in 1808 against the invading Jaipur army and laid his life at that very gate. A few yards ahead is another gate which still bears canon marks on its proud chest. They live to relate an attack by Maharaja Jagat Singh of Jaipur, on Jodhpur, at the instigation of Sawai Singh Champawat. The city was captured but the fort was not. The canons placed near Rasolai tank and Singodian-ki-Bhekri could not pierce the pride of Maharaja Mansingh. The stone was so strong that the fiercely lobbed canon balls were not able to dislodge even a square piece. They could only form slight depressions. When you take an about-turn to ascent the rising incline, the musical notes of shehnai and ek-tara reverberates in the air. It kindles an image of a royal entrance when the king would return on liveried elephant back after a battle won. The musicians would perform at a frenzied pace, while the royal ladies would shower petals from the innumerable jharokhas overlooking the approach and exchange coy glances with their loved ones. Since 1459 AD when Mehrangarh was founded by Rao Jodha, the 17th ruler of Rathore dynasty, it has held almost complete sway over Marwar. An old rusted wrought iron hat-stand is placed in a hollow beside an eatery. Believe me, the designs carved on it are unbelievably beautiful. The Nakar-khana still displays ancient drums, which were beaten on arrival of the king. Suraj Pole is the entrance to the fort museum and leads you to an immense collection of arms and artefacts. The family gotra of the Rathores was Gautam and their nishan (flag) was the Pachranga. Inside, a marble throne erect on a raised platform by the name of Sangar Choki attracts your sight. An audience outside the living quarters was granted here. The royal collection of haudahs (seat placed on elephant back) is remarkable. Most of them are made in silver on which minute designs have been lovingly carved by expert craftsmen. There is one such haudah, which was presented by Emperor Shahjahan on 18th Dec 1657 to Maharaja Jaswant Singh I, as a token of friendship. Another chamber has a triumphant display of palkis. These were used to ferry the royal ladies from one place to another. They are as delicate as the queens of Marwar would have been. Two notable ones are Tamjham and Pinjus. A huge palki appropriately called Mahadol is a war-booty, captured by Ajai Singh who defeated Sarbuland Khan, the Governor of Gujarat in 1730. The queens taken care of, there were the Rajput infants, the would-be warriors of Marwar, to be brought up. Eight palnas (swings), all lavishly painted in gold with the sun or other emblems as their crest, fairies looking down on the infant, now hold no more than pleasant attractions. Only the sweet haunt of a lullaby and the songs of valour, whispered softly into tender ears, surround the stilled swings. To think that they raised mighty war-lords and benevolent monarchs is romantic. Life was fierce and delicate both. That such marvellous piece in silver, wood, ivory, stone could be crafted so intricately amidst fierce war-threats and difficult life conditions is bewildering. See for yourself the silver hukkaas (smoke-pipes), the ivory vanity-cases and jewelry-boxes, the delightful ivory train, complete with an engine-driver and the replica of a station; the two staid motor-cars, the drivers forever frozen in cold ivory. There are halls full of brightly garnered swords, guns, pistols, jagged edged daggers, spears, war-caps, that the love of freedom of people is so evident. There was time for celebration too. On display are gaudy torans - decorated pieces which were hung during marriage nuptials at the door of bride's palace. The groom had to touch the toran with his sword seven times before entering. The Ran-Bankura Rajputs conquered their brides even in peaceful conditions. The Sheesh Mahal is a delicate chamber inside the fort. It is painstakingly decorated with frescoes and carefully inlaid with mirror pieces. The ceiling curiously has coloured glass balls. Perhaps, on being lighted, the chamber created an effect of a million twinkling stars! The dance hall is another breath-taking chamber. It is so profusely painted in gold brush with such splendid sophistry that the effect is lustrous. The wind on the top floors is forceful, perhaps like the people who lived here. In the sky you can sight eagles flying high keeping a watchful eye on what goes below on the land. One of the parapets has a nest, where a fledgling eagle was being reared by its protective mother for flight. A painting of Veer Durga Das Rathor 1638-1718, getting food cooked in a jungle on an unknown man's pier is a melancholy reminder of the price the Rathores paid for their freedom! The painting dates to the armed struggle against Emperor Aurangzeb. The Rajputs were strict disciplinarians in their personal lives. There was purdah for the ladies. Even the galleries connecting the buildings within were different for men and women - Mardani Deodi and Zenani Deodi. The chambers housing the Queen and other ladies of the royal household had screens in front of the windows. These are marvellously carved in stone. For one moment the eye is mistaken and believes the stone to be wood - so minute is the design! Just outiside the fort, a marble cenotaph beside a water-body held by ungenerous rocks, commemorates Maharaja Jaswant Singh. It is locally called his chhatri - Jaswant Thada. The exquisite structure is surmounted by a rectangular chamber from which lifts a pyramidical structure - lofty and wonderful. There are small chhatris all over the top, embellished with respect and love for the dead monarch. Wars were not to continue forever. The age of diplomacy replaced the age of swords and guns. Umaid Bhawan Palace, a building raised in colonial style in the 20th century from 1929-1943 represents an age of peace and prosperity. It was originally planned in marble but the royal pundits insisted upon the local variety of sandstone, prophesizing that marble would not suit the dynasty. So chittar sandstone was used. Three thousand artisans gave 14 years of their life to erect a conglomeration of 365 rooms halls, etc. S Norblin, the famous Polish painter left the icy environs of Poland for the desert heat of Jodhpur and skillfully painted war-scenes, marriage processions, portraits, on the walls of the palace. The frescoes are to be seen to be believed. The elegance of the Center Dome Hall is par excellence. A combination of sunlight streaming from the dome through specially crafted vents above and romantic lamps sending forth dim yellow rays below, strikes a truly stately pose. Mummified leopards and tigers peer from corners and staircases. Parts of the palace have been converted into a hotel while a section holds the museum. The silver-ware, crockery, Belgian glass writing table and chair are noteworthy. An interesting display is the clock collection - all perceivable objects have been blended with clocks - lighthouse-clock, windmill-clock, chariot-clock, engine-clock, etc. The diamonds on the yellowed papery dial are huge and real. In those days it cost only five crore rupees to construct this camel coloured luxurious palace! An eight kilometer drive out of Jodhpur city brings you to Mandore, the legendary residence of Mandodri, queen of Ravana. It is now the memorial garden for the Rathore rulers. Chhatris in red sandstone, built in pyramidical style abound - some displaying dainty statues, others a complex carved exterior. The chhatris of Ajit Singh and Jaswant Singh (1638-1678 AD) are most notable. A three storeyed pillar with intriguing designs called the Ek Thamba Mahal stands in front of the Zenana Bagh constructed during the time of Ajit Singh (1707-1724 AD). Mandore was the capital of Marwar till mid-15th century and dates back to legendary times when it was known as Mandavyapureand. Several Muslim rulers attacked Mandore - Iltutmish, Jalaluddin Khalji, Ferozshah Tughlaq, Shershah Suri and Aurangazeb. Such was its strategic importance! It came to the hands of the Rathores in the time of Rao Chunda when the Inda-Padihars gave it away as a marriage gift. Like an oasis, some kilometres away, is a huge water-body encased by sturdy hills - the lake Kailana. The city dwellers now enjoy it as a picnic spot. The sight of such a lot of water in a desert is amazing. Come dusk, leisurely moving camels with their humps rising and falling in the desert wilderness, softly padding the earth, can be seen returning to their masters enclosure. The fear of an invading army and the sounds of war are no more, but what is heard now is the soft flowering of a monumental passion, to the haunting tune of an ek-tara. Helsinki Weather: | |||
