The happiness of small things!

There was no trace of the postman as yet; usually he comes around this time. I was still in third standard and had just been introduced to the fascinating world of postal stamps. My count has not even touched a double figure but the madness had gripped me in totality. I would spend entire afternoon’s post late lunch after coming back from school admiring the many facets of each of them. Reading the every possible details and trying to get acquainted about the country became a habit. My fondness for capitals and currencies further added fuel to this newly acquired passion.

Our days at Chandigarh could definitely be termed as the most satisfying years; we, I and didi, were in school and had little worries. Life was simple but full of new discoveries; we were content and happy; A routine day started with the usual hustle bustle and hurried departure to catch the bus for school. There was always a rivalry between 3 BRD and 40 Wing – this rivalry was in terms of the quality of vehicle and also the timing. Usually the race is won by the group whose bus reports first, and usually we were on the losing side. 3 BRD Bus would always come second when the 40 Wing Bus had already left the spot with the winners. School was fun, right in the middle of the Air Force Station. In fact, some of the wings were intermingled with the bachelor billets of Airmen. Many times we could see the undergarments lazily lying on the loosely held strings. Those were the days of Unit Tests and I was doing great with my studies.

A good score at a unit test was enough to make me happy for the entire day. The maximum marks were 70 for each Term for each subject but usually two separate examinations of 35 marks were held at different times to make for the total. Vineet, Ashwini, Seema, Virender, JK, S Akilan, were some of my friends. The bread pakora at School canteen was also a favourite with me and didi as well. On some days, we would gather, at canteen to have bread pakoras. Didi was senior to me by two standards and for obvious reasons she used to be the custodian of one rupee coin that mom would hand over. Without fail, i would reach the canteen and relish each bite. “Mom can never make such pakoras” we used to say in unison. That was the type of honesty attached with childhood. Now, i know, anyone can make such pakoras; logic and intellect has taken over incredulous childish honesty.

I was on cloud nine; no it’s not for the high scores at Term Exams but a small piece of paper that had literally made my day. On my repeated requests, at last, the postman has turned up with two foreign stamps – one from New Zealand and the other from Denmark. The one from New Zealand had a beautiful painting titled “Lake Pukaki” by John Gully while the other had a speeding biker and a tile “VM Speedways”. I used to ponder why they have issued postal stamps on such trivial things. The quality of printing and paper was also exceptional, much superior to our Indian variety.

My next few went into inquiring about the geographical facts about these newly known countries. While i was still in euphoria, my friend S Akilan, gave me a puzzle that was too much for a third standard student. “This stamp has your name on it” he said handling over the stamp bearing “MALAYA” on it. But it indeed had Malaya on it and to the best of my knowledge there was no country by this name. The list of countries at the end of my ATLAS had no mention of this country even. At last, I concluded quite surely, that it was a fake, still decided to keep it as it had my name. I would know about the authenticity of the place and the stamp only a few years later. Likewise Magyar Posta, Hellas, Ostrich remained mysterious many years.

Life went on quietly for the next two years with those lazy post lunch sessions chewing Sugarcane; playing cricket with oil bat; losing the cricket matches; mango softie with those five rupee coins bearing Indira Gandhi; Sunday picnics to Rose Garden; Sarso ka Saag from Apni Mandi; Fudgy Stickers; Big Fun Chewing Gum that came with a photograph of a cricketer and runs/ wickets depending on the credentials of the individuals (There were rumours of guys who have collected 1000 runs and bagged a Cricket bat; never went into details and accepted it gullibly) Once mom promised to give me a 50 paisa if I go a nap in the afternoon. I found it difficult to sleep in those days. But I did that day, just at the thought of buying two big fun gums in the evening. The runs/ wickets were of some ordinary players; Kapil Dev used to be the much sought after one.

I had little idea that this initial engagement would come this far. From Chandigarh, we moved to Gwalior and we were admitted to another KV. But, this has no similarities with the preceding one. Here, the teachers and the students were all casual; No general knowledge, no philately, no numismatics, no extracurricular activity worth mentioning; this was coupled with the local mindset that created barrier between genders – separate sitting for boys and girls; nearly zero interaction even during the classes. I found it quite alien but had no options. Suranjan and Anirban became my first friends and soon the trio of Bong became famous for their academic exploits.

Coming back to the topic, the history of first postal stamp goes back to 1840, twenty years later than Hans Christian Orsted’s discovery of Electro Magnetic linkage. Sir Roland Hill, who was instrumental in bringing postal reforms, came up this idea with creation of Penny Black. Penny Black was printed on un-perforated sheet of paper, cut with scissors for sale. The total print run for this first adhesive stamp was 286,700 sheets with 68,808,000 stamps. But, Sir Hill had no idea that one day an experimental set-up at MIT in 1965 would make his discovery obsolete but not before the commercial success around 1990s. But, what he discovered survived for 150 years and caught the imagination of millions across the globe.

Stamps have been issued by different countries on a host of divergent concepts although it can be easily said that all countries must have issued at least one stamp on famous personalities. These included freedom fighters, sportsmen, industrialists, musicians, theatre personalities, poets, philosophers, historical figures and even Henna Patterns. Mahatma Gandhi’s indelible imprint not only on Indian Stamps but on many foreign stamps is quite a feat. His means of protest such as Satyagraha has even found place on the stamps. The other person matching the mahatma is Rowland Hill. Charlie Chaplin and Michelangelo have found place in Indian Stamps alongside Chaitanya Mahaprabu and Aamir Khusrau.

Other major subject for Stamps is without doubt - the Flora and Fauna of any country. National Animal and National Flower find special place in such releases. In India, a good number of stamps have been issued starting from the mangroves to the Bulbul. The initial releases on this subject where mono or bi-coloured and only by the 1980s Stamps with real Eastman colour hit the market.

When it comes to Historical monuments, India has no dearth of them and even if are not good at preserving the precious heritage, in terms of putting them on stamps has been taken care off quite decently. There are stamps on the Konarak Temple, Hampi Chariot, Sanchi Stupa, Golconda Fort, Chandragiri fort and many other ones. Most of the National Museums treasuring this heritage have also found mention in various issues. Salarjung Museum, the largest collection in the entire world put together by a single man, appeared in a release around 1987.

Academic Institutions feature regularly on Indian Stamps and it was a special occasion when one day scanning through my official mail, I found MITS on the Stamp. MITS (Madhav Institute of Technology & Science) was the place where I spend four long years during my bachelors. Although there are numerous engineering institutions across India far superior to ours, MITS won the race because of its illustrious history and political association of its patrons.

The concept of an engineering college came to the erstwhile maharaja of Gwalior Shrimant Jiwaji Rao Scindia immediately after independence. As he was aware of the fading royalty in the democratic days to come, he wanted to create something for the larger benefit of his populace and find place in their hearts. The scale of construction was huge – Foundation Stone was laid by none other than Rajendra Prasad in 1957 and on completion it was inaugurated by Sarvapalli Radhakrishanan in 1964. Time spend on finishing this fabulous sandstone edifice can give you an idea of its scale. In fact the maharaja left no stone unturned to make his college the best in the country – Machines were imported directly from GEC, London; Babcock & Wilcox, London and Haefely, Switzerland.

Initially the Scindias took personal care into the day to day happenings, the Institution, remained one of the best in India, but post 1980, the interest lost steam and the college became a victim. The management became shoddier by the day and standards kept on going southwards. When I enrolled for my bachelors in Electrical Engineering in 1996, without any prejudices whatsoever, it was quite like any B-Grade College in India, far below the Standards of IITs and the RECs. Castism and Regionalism were flourishing rampantly with no intrusion of the management to control the same. Anyhow with all this, although not all IITs and very few RECs have a postal stamp on them, MITS got this one, by hook or crook.

Other than the Academic Institutions many thematic bodies such as the Theosophical Society of India, Aga Khan Foundation, UPSC also finds place in Indian Postal Stamps. Jewellery had a rich tradition in princely India and the same has been beautifully put on stamps by a series dedicated to this art form. Nizam Jewellery, a spectacular collection of the erstwhile Hyderabad Nizams finds special place in this series.

The richness of Indian folk and Art forms such as Madhubani Paintings (of Bihar), Bidri ware (Persian Art from Bidar) have also found place on the pieces of paper. One thing is for sure that stamps are a world of knowledge in themselves and you need a tinge of inquisitiveness to appreciate the wide canvas of themes covered. I had no idea what bidri ware is when I first got my hand on this beautifully crafted 2 paisa stamps, neatly designed in monotone.

My encounter with Bidri ware came about at Bidar that has a rich history and fantastic mute monuments speaking about the grandeur of the bygone era. The Bidar Fort and Madarsa of Mahmud Gawan are masterpieces in their class; penetrate a little deeper one would know about the Persian influences that shaped up the Cultural canvas. Bidri Craftsmanship came from Persia just like the other architectural influences of slanted walls, use of acoustics as a defence mechanism and became famous. I would have loved to buy back a souvenir but could not because of the cost. Just imagine a piece of small paper had so much of importance and I bet every single theme depicted on postal stamps have a history that’s worth exploring.

Sporting Action has found its due place in the Stamps all over the World. Olympic, Commonwealth, and Asian Games have found expression on glossy sheets time and again. A sporty nation is a precursor for comprehensive development and progress in all arenas. Although, we can hardly compare our sportiness with a country like Australia efforts have been put in to develop the same. Next, comes the inadequately addressed areas of Health Care in an Indian perspective. Pulse Polio remains the favourite theme as for populous country like India Polio Eradication remains still a challenge. I still remember the resistance that was faced by the volunteers administrating the drops in Malda district of West Bengal.

Nostalgic warm associated with rail travel in India with the numerous options of Hill Trains and the engineering marvel of Konkan Railways finds their place in Indian Stamps. Darjeeling Railways (now a World heritage Property), Neral Matheran (now non-operational because of washing down of tracks; we had our share of travel by this train when in Mumbai), Electric locomotives all have found place in the list of numerous stamps release till date. In fact Railways remains a universal favourite when it comes to stamps, because of beautiful pictorial depiction and mass appeal.

Stamps stressing the defence capabilities of nation are equally important from the viewpoint of education the masses and entrusting confidence into them. Nearly all the units from Air Force (Squadrons & Wings) and Army (Light Infantry, Artillery) have got a stamp of their own. State of the Art fighter planes (GNAT), Strategic technologies (AWACS), combat mechanisms, and famous victories have found their due place on paper. Russia, previously NOYTA CCCP and the other communist nations are famous for coming up with stamps commemorating military events in a big way. Crimson Red is the other unmistakable feature of their stamps – signifying revolution. “Hail the Revolution!”

India, being an agriculturalist country having a predominantly agrarian economy has a plethora of stamps on Agriculture. Subjects as trivial as Irrigation by pumps, plucking of tea, white cotton and the Indian favourite Mango have found their place. These actually imbibe a sense amongst the masses that they remain centre staged while policy making and are pivotal to the development & emergence of the nation as a whole. This is also important to make the urban Indian understand and appreciate the role the agrarian community has played in creating a self reliant India. We must understand that both “India” & “Bharat” need each other and complement each other.

Energy Security is also close to our policy makers and accordingly to make the populace equally aware, a host of stamps have been issued – Solar Energy, Bio Gas, Hydro Electric Power – have come up quite early. Sam Pitroda may be name known to urban techies but his achievements have been put on postal stamps to stress upon the importance of Tele Communication and its relevance in modern world. But, slowly and definitely, that era has gone; for better or worst! but what has remained intact is my helplessness to take out these pieces of paper whenever, spot them, to augement my collection even to this date. Some love stories simply never end!

Kota - Rich Past and Bright Future!

The well-maintained milestones informed us about the arrival of Kota, a city of rich historical background and great industrial achievements. Kota was actually carved out of Bundi by Maharaja Rao Ratan Singh for his second son Rao Madho Singh in 1631. His sense of justice and love for his son must have driven him to do so, as splitting a kingdom was not a norm in Rajputana except Shekawati. Usually one heir was chosen amongst the many legible ones or they had to fight out amongst themselves to decide about the next king. Such times were full of intrigues and never easy. Kurosawa tried to capture this nicely in his movie titled “Ran.” But, Ratan Singh would never have imagined that one day, Kota would overshadow, if not wipe out Bundi (all electrical engineers can relate this somewhat to the Lenz’s Law). Kota embraced modernity and industrialisation with open hands and today, if you ask 10 people whether they know Kota or Bundi in a better way, I am sure Kota will get a 10/10.

Kota boasts of being a hub for IIT aspirants, having the world’s largest fertilizer plant, a nuclear power plant, and being the fifth largest city in Rajasthan, whereas Bundi has gone into complete oblivion. Only hard core tourists end up at Bundi to get a rustic feel of rural Rajasthan, while Kota is a bustling city with a great future. Crossing the river Chambal, we nearly missed our way and after being misguided by many, we found the way to Garh Palace. During all this confusion and chaos, Maharaja of Jhalawar called up to know about the expected arrival, arrangement of beds, and other details. I was really impressed by his courteousness and down-to-earth attitude. Moving past the Kishore Sagar, we took the narrow and encroached lanes to reach the Garh Palace of Kota. Kishore Sagar, an artificial lake, means the same to Kota what lake Pichhola means to Udaipur. The likeliness continues with the building of palaces in each of them. But, in terms of beauty, there is no comparison whatsoever between the two.

Garh Palace, situated right in the middle of old fortified city, is a collection of Palaces. The design and defence mechanisms indicate that the palace must have been erected during peaceful times. Unlike Bundi, here only a gate followed by a moat with a bridge comes on the way to the main palatial complex. No Challenge could be made with this sorry state of defence. Leaving the driver, we moved into the well-maintained Garh Palace Complex. Here, too, elephants are in limelight, but this time no puzzle to engage you. The two different trunks come from both side to form the arch, unlike the curious case of Hathipol in Bundi that creates an illusion with interweaved trunks. The gate as well the ceiling was profusely painted in bright colours.

The many rooms around the main courtyard that once served as residence for the royals have been stuffed with objects that try to recreate the royal lifestyle. The first room has many interesting things including a washing machine, floating seat, a massive stuffed elephant. Next, we moved into the Diwan-e-Aam that had some exquisite murals done with glass all over the walls and ceilings as well. The royal armoury that was showcased on either sides of a passage brought on display some of the finest guns and swords. The lower levels had some stuffed man-eaters but what i found interesting was a Gharial skin and a candid B&W shot showing the maharajas of Kota, Bundi & Bikaner in a jovial mood.

Like its creation, Kota inherited the Art tradition that Bundi had and later developed its own identity. A small but impressive collection of Miniatures in Kota School were also put on display. Vishvadarshan Hathi struck out in the entire gallery for its imagination. We could have easily missed out the best kept secret, had we missed the guide whom we met at Bundi, escorting foreign tourists inside a closed passage. “Are you the same who dropped your lens?” he asked. Starting a conversation, I asked him about the hidden chambers of the palace. When I learned that the palace is worth a visit, I decided to have a look what if I had to take an extra ticket of Rs. 50 INR per head. Remember, you live only once, go all out!

What distinguished that forbidden chamber from others is (a) the high concentration of miniatures painted over years covering a vast array of subjects including Kipling, a nayika having a bath, Shrinathji of Eklingji, a royal court, (b) use of mirror and (c) lavishness & crafty display of ivory. Keeping track of the ticking clock, we left the complex after a photo-shoot. Nothing else was left on the agenda for Kota; may be some light snack and then a departure for Jhalawar was on the cards but not before having a glance at the Royal Cenotaphs at Keshar Bagh. We moved on and landed at the beautifully maintained park that was originally designed during the princely times quite like the Phool Bagh in Gwalior and Sayaji Baug in Vadodara. The swimming pool that once had royal visitors is in shambles today. The park was abuzz with idlers; schoolchildren enjoying rides on their way back from school; local lovebirds scampering for bushes; some families on picnic. We had nothing to do and eat as the monkey menace right at the parking forced dad to abandon whatever we had in the vehicle itself. It was already lunchtime but we decided to skip the lunch and leave for Jhalawar.

Just as we took the circumferential road around the Kishore Sagar, we stopped for a while at Keshar bagh. Many times I have commented about the historical & heritage consciousness of we Indians, but somehow I cannot stop myself from doing so whenever I saw blatant ignorance time and again. This park quite common in concept amongst all Hindu princely states was basically a burial cum memorial ground. The cenotaphs were quite packed around the Bagh and in great state of preservation. Altough the saddening part is that now this place has been taken over by dubious sadhus, and babas who indulge in narco-pleasures. The place has become a resting place for criminals and anti-social elements, if not lovers. A water channel that runs through the bagh and meets the Kishore Sagar is now used for Bath. I somehow was concluding that Kota has disparaged its tourism potential for Industrial growth, however, what one needs to understand that both can go hand-in-hand with corporate houses adopting these uncared edifices.

We went in for a round around the Kishore Sagar primarily to shoot the Jag Mandir and the birdlife. Although the bird life was impressive with some gorgeous pelicans but what was disturbing is the sorry state of the lake. It was full with debris – human and industrial; thermocol blocks, Rubber tubes, human excreta and what not. There was an all pervasive foul smell caused by the process of rot that goes on unabated. Sur Sagar in Bikaner was much in the same state when it actually came on the election manifesto and was cleaned up. Jag Mandir that sits amidst this lake and built with red sandstone looks great but loses its photogenic quotient because of the high level of suspended particles in air that makes the pictures blunt & dull. I tried my best and moved on by some hunger quenching by “Gat.” The drive from Kota to Jhalawar was relaxing as post Kota the roads were empty with negligible traffic. The region was quite green with many rivulets irrigating the fertile patches. Soon we entered the Jhalawar District with open cast mines on either side. Quarries offering raw stone slabs and chiselled stone pieces came up regularly. Population was feeble and the vastness was overwhelming. Cluster of village households came up and went by quietly. The abundance of stone could be gauged from the fact that even boundaries for households & quarries have been made by stacking waste pieces of sandstone slabs.

Beautiful Bundi

I am starting this memoir on a sombre note, as just now, I came to know about the sad demise of the last scion of Bundi State. My introduction to Ranjit Singh and the royal house of Bundi is quite new but surely an everlasting one. Bundi was always on my wish list, but it never happened. By the time we reached Bundi, I started to develop some back pain because of the fatigue. As they say, “No pain No Gain” The sudden appearance of the delicately lit Garh Palace made its entry into the frame and the pain vanished in a whisker. What a view! The many layers of Garh Palace sitting over the cluttered town of Bundi were something straight out of a fairy tale. My eyes kept glued to this visual feast as we lost the diversion and moved ahead on the National Highway towards Tonk. There was no one on the road to guide us until one vagabond came our way and asked us to drive back. The national highway actually skirts around the settlement of Bundi and offers great panoramic views of the entire town.

Taking the diversion close to the Nawal Sagar and moving past the narrow lanes asking intermittently for direction to Garh Palace, we at last landed at parking lot. The area was totally deserted except for a few dogs. Unwinding the luggage soon we all become acquainted with the place. The solitude was perfect to simply sit down around a campfire and talk nostalgic things. I could catch that tinge of fear when dad remarked, “No one’s here except us!” Soon the reason became evident, as we chatted with the attendants. Swine Flu & Terrorist Threats had created such a non-congeniality that number of foreign tourists have dwindled considerably. Bundi is not that famous amongst Indian traveller for unknown reasons even though it has much more to offer than the designer forts in Rajputana.

Post dinner we sat down under the open sky with Garh Palace in the background – lit in bright yellow. This one rivalled the Sonar Kella in Jaisalmer, in every respect. Hathi Pol looked brilliant with its elephants. The fort standing as mute spectator it seemed has to say so many things. I spent some time speaking with this strikingly appealing edifice while everyone moved into the rooms because of increasing chill. Next morning, I got up before Sunrise to capture the first rays kissing the Garh palace from the NH that offers the best views at dawn. There was a sound in the kitchen and soon Bharat came out with morning tea. It was still dark but a reddish glow could be seen on the flat high rise walls on the left hand side of the fort facade. Having done with the tea and photography, i left for the NH on foot. The busy market square was devoid of any hustle bustle; it was silent,

all along. Moving past the hordes of hotels on either sides of the street, i reached the Nawal Sagar. The waters were placid and the atmosphere quite. A few early risers could be seen walking in the nearby garden. Spending some time photographing the landscape, I moved towards the other bank of Nawal Sagar. On a closer examination, i found that the water actually full of filth and waste that can hardly be categorized. It had everything from polyethylene bags to card boards, human as well inhuman waste – it was simply pathetic quite like the Sur Sagar in Bikaner that used to smell foul because of decomposition of waste on a continual basis. Now, thanks to Vasundhara Raje, the tank has been cleaned at last. I don’t know what has happened to our civic senses. Why do we look forward to the governmental authorities for everything – Population Control, Contraception and Terrorism? Let us take control of issues that we can jointly take up.

Showing the ticket to the gate keeper with a wicked smile, we moved into the Bundi’s famous Garh Palace. Taking the steep steps on the right hand side I reached the next level. The pass ways were spacious when compared to the ones in Bundelkhand but the rooms were pretty ordinary. Whatever, had originally been there had been stripped off, leaving behind only the superstructure. The was a sense of abandonment written all over the place – falling doorways; ripped off walls, faded disfigured murals all stand in mute testimony to a glorious past that only remains in imagination. A bunch of bats have made it their shelter causing a lot of intolerable smell. Whatever has remained after this disdainful treatment does indicate the glory that once Bundi reached.

The construction is rock solid; ornamentation is secondary but even there no efforts have been spared to create a masterpiece. The finely chiselled stone blocks that form the main structural spine must have been locally quarried. Hence the availability of raw material never came as a hindrance and so was for the sculptors, who I presume were local who created these exquisite pieces of quality workmanship. Ornamentation has been taken care by primarily two means (a) Stone cut structural pieces like pillars, support brackets, Jallis, and (b) Plentiful use of miniatures that would define what Bundi School of miniature is all about. The plan is quite simple; palatial complexes around an open courtyard with hidden but broad and high rise stair cases leading to the upper floors. This palace has a close resemblance with the one at Karauli, in terms of thematic, orientation, use of mural and location of stair cases. At many places even, the very basic concepts of symmetrical patterns have been dispensed off.

Most of the rooms on the front side of the palace directly above the Hathi Pole are in absolute disrepair and needs immediate restoration. A corridor protruding along the walls of these rooms leads to the large hall. Close to this hall and facing the Hathi Pole is a large hall meant for ceremonies. A marble throne was also kept in line with the main gate that was used for such royal ceremonial gatherings. Moving past this hall, we entered a labyrinth of zig-zag up-down passages that took us to hall that had beautifully crafted pillars with painted elephantine support brackets. Next we moved to the famed “Phool Mahal” or Flower Palace. This palace has no connection what so ever with its name but is actually a treasure trove of miniatures. Of particular interest is the main entrance lintel formed by a set of four elephants, the miniatures depicting armies waging wars with elephants leading the charge and the magical mosaic patterns on the floor. The spacious open balconies on the southern face of the Garh palace offers some of the best aerial views of Nawal Sagar.

Taking the neatly laid passage we reached the open courtyard at the South-Eastern corner of the palace. This courtyard offers a grand view of the Palace Interiors. The elevation advantage makes it an envious photo shoot location. We did a lot of family photographs after leaving the place through a straight flight of spacious but hidden steps that brought us to an open courtyard in front of another of those Mahals. This one had the same flair when it came to beautifying the walls with murals. Red dominates the canvas although intermediate streaks of bright yellow do break the monotony. Ornamentation for wooden doors must have made the elephants to run for their lives as finely crafted ivory pieces have been delicately placed on the wooden planks to create something superlative.

Just as we were about to leave for Chitrasala – the main arsenal of Bundi miniatures, the palace guard came to us an offered us help in trafficking us through a secret passage, closed to tourists, for a mere Rs. 20/-. For sure, the deal was worthy as it saved a trek of around half a kilometre multiplied by 4 Adults and 2 Children. The passage actually is a vertical set of steps that start from the North-Eastern corner of Garh Palace part that is still with the Maharaja and open up in the garden of Chitrasala, now maintained and cared by ASI.

The difference was prominent in all senses – the gardens were beautifully maintained, the area was clean and wooden supports have placed along the open steps. The immediate query that cropped up in my mind – why does the maharaja does not give away the entire palace to ASI? What are his apprehensions in doing so? And now, when maharaja is no more what will happen to his personal property that includes this massive crumbling fort as well. I don’t know what Maharaja Ranjeet Singh has written down on his will, but I feel art connoisseurs across the whole must be able to see what lies hidden in the remaining closed chambers. Even by conservative standards, I feel, not even 50% has been made open for public viewing. Reasons are unknown, but the guard did tell us that part needs repairs and is abandoned. The argument is hard to accept as the chambers with entry prohibition look in good shape at least from outside. What is that the Maharaja is trying to hide? Satyajit would definitely have written a good short story on this quite like Fritz.

Chitrasala is to be seen by own eyes to believe and appreciate what mural painting is all about. Of the many schools of miniature painting, Bundi had a special place when it comes to this craft of artistic expressions. In the schools spread across Rajputana what is even more interesting that even in dull and monotonous climatic conditions, art has blossomed and attained a full bloom. The painted interiors of Sona Chandi ki dukan in Mahansar (Shekhawati) are in absolute contrast with the landscape. What all one can see around Mahansar is thorny shrubs sprinkled irregularly over the sandy humus. Whereas the painting inside are bright and vibrant, full of life, even today after a century. This indeed is amazing and forces you to scratch your head.

The colours that have been used predominantly include Blue, Green and yellow. Red that otherwise finds over usage in Rajputana miniature is subdued and ignored. The motives generally include (a) Hindu Mythological stories (b) Royal lifestyle (c) Nature and (d) fillers such as borders, centre pieces etc. that help in making the canvas look complete and continuous. One thing that is of particular interest is the way artists have put the subject on a background. “Purple Fringe” is what you get when to try to shoot stark differences in light with a low-end camera. Here the creator has taken dark background for the entire contour of the figure that fades down uniformly into the background. I found this unique about Bundi Style however, my knowledge about Indian Art can only be termed amateurish and hence no conclusions shall be arrived only by reading this travelogue.

Miniatures in Chitrasala were probably done when the Bundi School reached its zenith. The beautiful expressions take Krishna as the model and his frivolous activities have found places on the walls of Chitrasala that served as a Zenana during its use. Literally, not a single square inch rather square millimetre has been spared and the execution is flawless. Walls, Ceilings, carved niches, arches – faces as well the spread have been covered. At places, reflecting mirrors have been laced to add a variety. Some of the rework that could be distinctly segregated does match the initial quality of workmanship. There’s no point elaborating on the individual painting as the best way to appreciate them is to see and not read about them.

Leaving behind the Nawal Sagar, we moved towards the Rani-Ki-Vav. Passing the first cluttered stretch that has old havelis - now turned into guest houses, dharmsalas, temples and grocery shops, was really nightmarish but this time it offered no resistance. An old temple under active worship falls just on the sides of a turn where the passage shrinks further. The total graveness was further worsened by the habit of parking two-wheelers right on the front of these shops that has become ingrained in the people of Bundi. This trait can easily be applied to the entire north India without giving a second thought. Just as we reached the NH, the Bundi Fort appeared on the horizon with sun god hitting it straight; the blue sky further added to the drama as we moved on to the Vav.

Vavs must have been in vogue among the royal women during the medieval times as the association of vavs with the throne queen is not new and isolated. Gujarat that has the highest concentration of these water harvesting social joints with vavs at Patan (with gigantic proportions) and Adalaj that could leave you speechless with their harrowing depth and exquisite stone carving. This one though not as massive and ornamented, when compared to them, still finds mention amongst the largest in terms of its linear layout scales.

Sitting close to a busy roundel, this vav now is maintained by ASI in a rather protective way. Steel Grills have been put right at the mouth of this vav with a locked gate. This view was enough to make my heart crumble with pain at the very thought of not able to see it. Soon a caretaker appeared like a god and without being asked opened the door and asked me to write down my details on a shabbily maintained register. It was as if Christian Barnard has come to my rescue himself. The proportions are indeed massive to drive one to awe and can leave some stiff necks as well. The two side walls are supported with a wall that has three openings with trabeate architectural lintels spanning the gap. The squatness of these openings has been taken care with the positioning of elephantine figurines on either side followed by filigree creating a shape of inverted “V”. This has stark resemblance with the filigree that one can see at Astrologers seat at Sikri Complex however lacks the depth that the Mughal counterpart has. The same streak has been applied on all the three opening at two layers. In between these layers, there are niches with temple like spires on the main walls on both sides. Post this gate, there is no visible signs of ornamentation however to maintain the theme, elephant figurines have been places at the face of the main shaft. Every step took us deeper into the sub-zero elevations; it was silent and peaceful. Largely the vav is divided into two levels but the height of each level is much more when compared to a conventional vav. This concept gives a grand appearance to the entire structure. Had the same depth been traversed down with smaller levels with more number of levels, the spaciousness might have been less.

At the lower depths, the construction is plain and flat except for a few niches that served as small shrines. Even today, local people offer flowers at these shrines as a routine ritual and blessings are sought by newlywed couples for a happy married life. Our decision to visit the vav at noon paid us as the light was piercing right deep into the bottom. I would have loved to spend some more time at the vav but we were already running late from the scheduled lunch. Freshly drawn stuffed chilly pakoras came handy to put off the initial fire in the belly.

Sitting idle I glanced through the pages of my handy travel guidebook although I have already gone through the chapters on Bundi and Jhalawar on numerous occasions before; I was probing for the details for the affinity of Bundi Royals to the British. Association of Bundi maharajas with the British residents was well-lubricated by arranging leisure shooting parties and other such prevalent means. In fact, when Raja Bishan Singh (1773-1821) contracted cholera and lying on his death bed, he trusted Charles Tod over his other family members and relatives for taking care of his immature son, Ram Singh. This was a politically correct decision as Tod’s presence would mean no difficulty in getting the resident’s nod for Ram Singh to be the next Maharaja. Ram Singh who developed under the tutelage of seasoned Tod went on to became on the most successful ruler who worked for his subjects, introduced reforms and gained immortality for his uninterrupted rule of 68 years.

This passion for English continued for the rest of the rulers to come and the penetration could be understood by the simple fact that the royal prince and princess had an English name other than the traditional Rajput one. While the Maharaj Ranajit Singh as “Prince Peter” as second identity, his sister Maharajkumari Mahendra Kumari had Princess Kitten as her English name. This had actually become quite a practice amongst the elite in those days with “Mookhopadhya” becoming “Mukherjee”; “Chattopadhaya” “Chatterjee”; “Bandopadhyaya” “Banerjee”; “Basu” “Bose”; “Mitra” “Mitter” and more famously “Thakur” becoming “Tagore.” I would have preferred “Mandle” had I given same circumstances and oppurtinity.

The idea of viewing sunset at Jait Sagar drove us again and soon we landed at the lake behind the Main hill that houses Garh Palace. Jait Sagar became famous because of its association with Rudyard Kipling who came to Bundi as a royal guest and was lodged in the royal hunting resort “Sukh Niwas” sitting at ease on one on its banks. It was here that Kipling got inspired to pen down his famous novel “Kim”. Kipling who enjoyed great fame amongst the British intellect for his writings still remains the youngest person to get noble prize in literature. This can give you an idea of what Kipling did to the advancement and spread of English language during those colonial days.

What Kipling saw in those days could hardly be imagined today. He visited Bundi around 1900 when this entire area was nothing more than a jungle – oozing of wildlife. I can only imagine the tranquillity that Kipling got during his lazy days at “Sukh Niwas.” British people had that taste that we Indians can hardly think off. I am desperately looking for a copy of “Kim” to know more about Hurree Chunder Mookherjee and Kimball O'Hara. I can only feel jealous about them and that would not help me in any way. The modern park bordering the lake and facing “Sukh Niwas” initially looked quite morose but the place was not that bad actually. The presence of water has made the entire area green that makes it quite unlike Rajputana. A variety of birds were busy finding inspects to feed on. It was a relaxing dusk as we spent some more time doing nothing but appreciating the Mother Nature with A&A busy with a slip and jammed play swirl. Taking a few parting shots of the “Sukh Niwas” with the fading sun in the backdrop while on move, we left the area for our Hotel. I, didi, and Mom dropped in at the market to buy a piece of Bundi Miniature as a souvenir. I wanted just one but ended up buying five of them.

A desire was still left in my otherwise full heart and that was to photograph the Bundi Royal Enclave with lights on against a pitch dark sky. It was impossible with a hand held camera to shoot with the dismally low lights. At last deciphering the embedded wisdom, I did a Jaisalmer Act with camera grounded and “AUTO” mode “ON.” I expected better results from Nikon, but Tamron won it handsomely. Leaving a place is always painful and full of melancholy; many thoughts came and went by quietly. What is that makes Bundi Special – Tagore could have penned poems on any other fort in the Rajputana. This was definitely not the most militarily strategic or had great wars associated with it; i feel it is the whimsical attitude, stubborn arrogance and a complete indifference with the contemporary that makes its special. It belonged to our own world but very different from us. Even Kipling, when first saw this mammoth creation, went on to conclude that such a creation is not humanly possible and must have been work of some goblins. This sturdiness has been somewhat wetted and softened by the salubrious climate that also brought in a sense of beauty and art that is unrivalled in the entire Rajputana. Following, Tagore and Kipling, Satyajit chose Bundi when it came to showing a prosperous kingdom. Those B&W shots that appear in Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne are reminiscent of Bundi in late 1960s with flourishing paddy fields. Ray Chose Kumbhalgarh that has the distinction of being the second largest fortification in the world, for his third sequel tilted Goopy Bagha Phire elo; the man had a perfectionist eye; Hats off to the genius. We don’t know whether we all shall ever be able come back together, but I do believe firmly that I will surely revisit Bundi, the only part that remains uncertain is when?

Jhalawar - The heart of Hadoti

For those who had any amount of faith in the gun salute nomenclature started by the British to create a relative standing amongst the numerous principalities spread across India, a 13-gun salute state, like Jhalawar, was hardly of any interest. The primary reason for this categorization where the British Queen had 101 gun salutes and the viceroy entitled only to 31, and a mere 21 being the highest endowed to Indian kings, was to create a sense of their own superiority and adding fire to the prevailing rivalry amongst Indian states. These nomenclatures were followed up diligently without fail at all imperial gatherings. I don’t know what protocol was followed during the Delhi durbars and the photography sessions afterwards as literally there was a jostle to be photographed prominently. The poor kings from small principalities could hardly show their fantastically done attires adorned with fabulous jewels and had to be content with only facial coverage. But, life is much more other than a gun-salute count for sure.

Creation of present Jhalawar State in 1838 is a study in itself. By this time, British rule was well-established and wars were virtually out of sight. Then, what lead to this formation; I believe political manoeuvres and clever negotiations with the Political agents must have been behind a hard bargain that lead to reorganization of Kota State. One possible tactful reason could be to clamp down the expanding boundaries of Kota. But, whatever be the reasons, Jhalawar state saw the light of the day and found its own way in the days to come. Peace and Prosperity remained primal focus and that could easily be seen in today’s Jhalawar.

My introduction to Jhalawar Royal family took place at the “Music in the Park” live concert wherein Sitar Maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar, his talented daughter Anoushka and multi-faceted tabla player Bickram Ghosh. Before the main concert, a documentary was screened with help of a LCD projector by Mark Kidel that kicked off with Panditji’s initial days in Varanasi and his relationship with his father. “He worked for the state of Jhalawar in Rajasthan”, Panditji recollected about his father. I immediately clubbed Jhalawar along with Bundi for my forthcoming visit to Hadoti. The other reason to include Jhalawar was driven by my passion for forts; i was eager to see Gagron. But, I had no idea that Jhalawar minus Gagron is a place worth visiting. The palace staff was pregnant about our arrival and they all came forward as soon we moved closer to the palace. The atmosphere was simply mesmerising with the last rays of sun fading out. We were escorted to the palace guest house all decked up for our arrival. The rooms were spacious and had an unmistakable feel of that bygone era; high ceilings, spacious interiors, imported electric fittings, seasoned teak furniture and some framed memorabilia. Soaking in the royalty we enjoyed the evening tea along with pakoras at the northern veranda. I was busy photographing the interiors when a peacock feather kept on the study drew my attention. Another photograph showing a native holding a dead Gharial on his back was a real masterpiece in terms of presenting the lifestyle of that era. Despite the fondness of Indian maharajas for Rolls & Royce, the maharaja of Jhalawar had opted for a Talbot. The receipts for the same along with the mascot designers’ bill have been framed and placed on wall for to cater to the heritage enthusiasts like me. Just imagine toady we go to a showroom, discuss the EMI and get a car but in those days it what an elaborate exercise to buy and transport a car.

The next day started quietly with a stroll around the evasive campus of Prithvi Vilas Palace. The genesis of this edifice must have been the western modernity that was experienced by the royals all over India. The congested palaces no longer appealed to them and westernism came to their rescue. Indo-Saracenic was the name given to such form of architecture that resulted from the experimentation of western architects with the native building materials incorporating local influences with gothic revival style. While Charles Mant and R. F. Chisholm were making palaces for the Gaekwads, the Scindias chose Filose when it came to designing a modern palace. Wodeyars chose Henri Irwin, while the Frederick William Stevens & George Wittet were busy leaving a colonial imprint on the metropolis of Bombay. Prithvi Vilas is though not a lavish exercise of that scale; it is a rather solemn creation quite like the palaces that I saw in Karauli. The palace complex that was designed as an outhouse occupies a total of 150 acres with a square lotus moat that encircles the main residential building. The plan is like a grid; the guest house meant for royal guests is on the eastern side.

Finishing off breakfast on scheduled time, we left for the majestic Gagron fort with Babloo as our guide and escort. The ride through the narrow irregular roads took us to the city outskirts. Soon, a fortified structure appeared on the horizon. Moving in line with the fortified walls we reached a gate that what closed for unknown reasons. The main arterial road running through the fortress took us to the last strategic point on the eastern side. Here, there were two major bastions that had enough ammunition stocks to prevent any military advances.

Gagron is a classical example of Jal Durg that is enviably placed atop a hill surrounded by vast waters of rivers Kali Sindh & Ahu further adding to its defence. Although they remain shallow during the summers the difference in elevation gives a strategic advantage to the occupant in observing the invaders and targeting them. This natural defence from three sides and with a solidly defended fourth side with apt positioning of bastion and dual gates, Gagron remained in demand right from its initial days of fortification. Although the initial fortification took place somewhere in the 8th Century, the current remains look mainly from around 15-16th cen

tury. The looks from the top were amazing and covered a good distance because of elevation that made the life simpler for the sentries guarding this post. To views encompassed a typical laid back village lifestyle; a local girl returning back with her herd of gaots village women bathing in the water, a bunch of water pelican busy fishing.

Garh Palace inside the fortified walls of Jhalawar was our next destination. This used to be royal residence during the princely times but now with the Indian government. While in use this surely was one of the most exotic offices with a fabulous display of painting on walls and ceiling done with paint & mirror. Today the offices have shifted to newly created sandstone block of “Mini Secretariat” leaving behind it deserted and uncared for. The new office came into existence because of Shrimati Vasundhara Raje Scindia, then chief minister of Rajasthan and presently a member of legislative assembly from Jhalrapatan. Her son Shri Dushyant Singh is the sitting member of parliament representing Jhalawar.

I have already witnessed what public use of historical monuments can lead to at the Raj Mahal in Orchha that was used as a school and lead to disfiguration of most of the murals in the lower levels. God has not endowed everyone with the same sense of care and sensitivity. Here also it’s a picture of disdain; what is disturbing is that the damage is irrevocable. We entered the palace taking permission from the officials posted purely for security reasons. “There’s nothing to see actually, even then you want you can go,” the man said courteously. All of the rooms in lower levels and most of them in first floor have been ripped off beyond recognition. Honestly, I had lost any hopes of finding anything worthy. Babloo took us right to the top of the main entrance adorned with a rectangular chhatri at centre and two round chhatris at both frontal corners. While we glanced the workmanship remorsefully for the complete state of disrepair.

Maharaja Bhawani Singh who is credited with the creation this palatial complex was an illustrious character who travelled globally and read widely. His knowledge helped the transformation of Jhalawar into a modern state. Bhawani Natyashala, is also a handiwork of this multi-faceted maharaja. Here at this theatre he staged plays ranging from Shakespeare to Shakuntala. His exposure to western ways and philanthropic works made him the most progressive maharaja that Jhalawar ever had. But sadly he received an identical fate just as Bahadur Shah Zafar and had the misfortune of not getting buried in the Indian soil; he died at Aden, Yemen and was cremated there in 1929. Post Bhawani Singh a traditional of education and pursuance of knowledge was ingrained in the royal family. The present maharaja Chandrajit Singh Dev Bahadur who played as our host in proxy was a tennis champion during his college days and now stays in Delhi with his family.

Jhalrapatan owes its presence on the geographical map to Zalim Singh, who although an outsider, was a sound administrator and remained at the helm of affairs at Kota State for forty five years. With his prudent lead the state became prosperous and he became the most trusted general for the Kota royals. To payback what Zalim Singh had done for the state, it was decided to carve out a separate state for his descendants and that’s how Jhalawar came into existence. Today, Jhalrapatan, nothing more than a fortified sleepy town with a strong rural flavour, is famous for the 11th Century Sun Temple that finds its place as the best pieces of medieval Indian architecture.

Sun temples have an interesting myth associated with them. It is believed that the city that houses a sun temple gets ruined. This happened with Martand in Kashmir; Modera in Gujarat; Konarak in Orissa and in more recent times Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh. Jhalrapatan is no exception as it has not improved an iota since the medieval times. The same unhurried pace, lack of knowledge and dogmatism everything lasts till date. Jain Temple en route to Sun Temple was our first halt in the fortified settlement of Zalim Singh. The temple’s antiquity goes a century back to 11th century. Taking a parikrama and some snaps we moved on to the main attraction of Jhalrapatan – the sun temple.

The grandeur of this temple indicates the glory that this place once had but today it’s all history. Parking the vehicle at the congested narrow lanes we reached the main gate only to know that the temple is closed. To make the best out of the situation, I decided to have a long shot first with my Nikon 18-55 mm and then some close-ups with Tamron 70-300 mm. By the time I finished off my photo session, I saw a few visitors percolating inside the temple through the side gate. Egregiously following them, we made our way into the Mahamandapa in front of the closed Garbh Griha. The mandapa was quite like Modera but it was nowhere when it came to the quality of workmanship. This was partially because of the feeble or no maintenance that came its way.

The major distinguishing features that this temple has are (a) placement of Jharokhas with overhanging ceiling in Bengal style (adopted at Mandore Cenotaphs) at the top of the three entrance gates (b) the layout follows the pattern of a cross (like Chaturbhuj Temple in Orchha) (c) positioning of human figurines at the first elevation in folded leg sitting postures (they don’t look like dwarapalas for sure). The quality of reddish sandstone used is of inferior quality when came to working with chisel and hammer. The granular bonding does not support finer intricacies as done with yellow sandstone at Modera. Wrapping off the temple tour, we moved towards our last destination for the day not before wasting some time with didi buying lacquer bangles and Babloo bringing a fibre like sweet.

Raen Basera, our last destination for the day, was basically a timbre house put on display at an exhibition in Lucknow that drew the attention of the Maharaja. The timbre structure had been constructed from ascu treated pinewood and put up for display by the Forest Research Institute in Ruskin’s Dehradun. The FRI, as it is better known, was set up by the Omni-curios British to study the Himalayan flora and fauna that covers a whooping 4.5 square kilometres with some extravagantly styled Greeko-Roman Architecture by C.G. Blomfield employing neat mason work. Today, it is used as a Training centre for the trainee under the Indian Forest Service. I had fond memories of a walk through wide walkways and peeping into its seemingly endless corridors with a senior officer of UPCL during one of my official tours.

Coming back to the idea of Raen Basera; well! It is said that the maharaja wanted a secluded place post his retirement days and this timber house fitted his imagination. The double story house that originally had a plinth area of 3500 square feet had 3 bed rooms, 1 drawing and 1 dining room. Some additions were later made to accommodate a kitchen, a bath room and a lounge. A framed introductory page signed by Rai Bahadur, B.A., Ll. B, Dewan, Jhalawar State dated 25th April 1940 is put on display for the inquisitive ones. Future holds no promise for this structure quite like the rest as in-decision has been looming large over for the past few years. We were informed that RTDC, state tourism Development Corporation, has been made responsible for its upkeep and they plan to make it a heritage hotel. The idea sounded unfeasible as with already feeble number of tourists seeping into Jhalawar, only serious adventure enthusiasts would go for a place about a half hour drive from main city centre in complete isolation from mankind.

Seeing the interiors that no longer had original shine and grace, I moved to the small garden in front of Raen Basera. The fading sunshine made it a perfect as I tried to capture what the maharaja dreamt of. To keep in touch with time, one sun dial has also been placed in the middle. The thought of capturing Prithvi Niwas Palace at dusk drove us back to Jhalawar through the mustard fields. A group of camels with their master turbaned with the brightest colours made it even rewarding. Relaxing in the lawn around the fountain after taking off the socks felt heavenly. While the palace staff placed plastic moulded chairs for us to sit we opted in favour of the soft grass.

Although, my penchant for heritage properties has taken me to some of the fabulously maintained Havelis, British Dak Bunglows, Palaces modelled on Indo-Saracenic lines, across India, Jhalawar was an out-of-this-world experience with its lotus moat and dancing peacock. A would definitely revisit this place in near future. So next time when you are in Hadoti, please include this destination in your itinerary to explore the heart of Hadoti.