JODHPUR AND AROUND
The moment one thinks of Jodhpur the images of rajput courage, valour and dignity come to mind. Such was the level of pride dignity that it is said that when Jasvant singh the then Maharaja in 1685 after getting defeated in the battle ground by Moughal princes Aurangzeb and Murad fled the battle field his proud wife refused to accept this sully to Rajput honour, slammed the door of the fort in his face and send him back to redeem the good name of the Jodhpur house. A legend perhaps but she was right in her action as even the coat-of-arms of Jodhpur depicts the sacred kite of goddess Durga and the rather clan’s battle cry,”Ran banka Rathor”, which means “Rathor, invincible in battle”. What are interesting are the grains of millet depicted on the shield. They represent the words of Sher Shah, sultan of delhi, who having very narrowly defeated the Jodhpur armies, ruefully commented, “for just a hand full of millet, I nearly lost all of Hindustan.” History of Jodhpur is resplendent with examples of persons of great dignity, valour, magnanimity, chivalry and vision. Two such persons who stand out are Durga Das and Sir Pratap Singh. Durga Das, the great hero and warrior of Jodhpur, celebrated by poets and bards is perhaps the best example of Rathor magnanimity and valour. It was he who saved the Jodhpur when after Jasvant Singh’s death in 1678, the orthodox Muslim Aurangxeb wreaked his reveng.Aurangzeb sacked Jodhpur, plundered the large towns of marwar, destroyed temples, demanded conversion to Islam and implemented the jizya tax on non Muslims that Akabar had abolished back in 1564.It was at this critical time that Durga Das smuggled Jasvant Singh’s posthumously-born son, Ajit out of delhi. After 30 years of guerilla war fair, hardship and wandering, Durg Das bravely re-took Jodhpur and Ajit Singh took up his rightful throne.
Sir Pratap Singh who came to the fore in Jodhpur in 1870’s was a remarkable man. A son of the Maharaja of Jodhpur, he himself ruled a small neighboring kingdom called Idar, but abdicated to become Regent of Jodhpur, which he ruled, in effect, for nearly fifty years. Sir Pratap Singh was a great warrior and the epitome of Rajput chivalry. As Maud Diver wrote about Sir Pratap, “he has been aptly named ‘ the first gentleman of the British Empire’, using the word in its higher meaning. A Rajput of bluest blood, he reckoned himself beyond all rules and cods except those dictated by his own sense of fitness, which was of most exacting; a trait finely shown in the familiar story of an English subaltern who died at Jodhpur and whose coffin could not be moved because one of the officers detailed to carry it was down with fever. No Hindu of cast could touch a coffin without defilement. An out cast scavenger seemed the only alternative; but the officers reckoned without Sir Pratap. The young man had been his friend; and he promptly offered himself as pallbearer with the characteristic remark, ‘A soldier knows no cast with a brother soldier.’ Perhaps only a Hindu could appreciate the spiritual significance of that simple courteous action. Rightly he belonged to the warrior desert tribe of Rajputs, the Rathores, ‘famous in battle.’he became an intimate friend of three British sovereigns. At Queen Victoria’s darbar he is said to have presented her not with mere jewels, like everyone else, but with his own sword, his most valuable possession as a Rajput warrior. Sir Pratap Singh laid the foundation a modern state in Jodhpur, which Maharaja Umaid Singh [1918-47] built upon. Sir Pratap Singh is also known as inventor of “jodhpurs”, or riding breeches as we know them today. Since he virtually lived on horseback, he gradually evolved this item of clothing with the help of his tailor to meet his own riding needs. It all began apparently, when he got tired of the way his traditional Rajput riding pyjamas would get frayed on the in side of the knee, as he rode. He latter went on to invent ankle length jodhpur-boots and the close collared jodhpuri coat-which came to be adopted as the semi-formal dress of the Jodhpur court.
Todays Jodhpur is one of the largest cities of Rajasthan, with its soft spoken and good tempered residents,with its rich heritage of arts crafts the charm of Jodhpur takes you over at the first site. It is a major military base and an important centre of research in arid zone agriculture and in other desert related problems. Yet in many ways it still preserves the old flavour and charm of a medieval town that was built centuries ago under the protective cover of one of the most extra ordinary forts of its time. The old quarter of Jodhpur is still a fascinating place with its narrow lanes, its havelis and its fine medieval water tanks. One comes across the locality where every house is painted, both from out side and in side in a stunning pale indigo shade. Jodhpur can easily be called the blue city because of these homes. Originally, the color signified the home of a Jodhpuri Brahmin. The story goes that centuries ago the Brahmins of the town painted their homes thus, because they had discovered that the color wards off the mosquitoes. Take a walk through the lanes and the streets of Jodhpur to get caught by the charm of this city. Start from the old Fateh-Pol, get at the Jetha Bera tank, through the lane of Jaisalmerion ki Gali,past the Talati ka Mahal,a palace which now houses a hospital,and ending finally, at the old gain market.
It is a real fun to roam through the crowed little market shops near the clock tower built in 1912. Here you find the well known lacquer bangles in vivid colors one may also see, an artisan using his fingers and feet skillfully to turn a wooden box before coloring it green, red and yellow with lacquer. The shops are full with the beautifully decorated ornamental swords, rugged leather mojri slippers and tie-and-dye printed fabrics in vivid colors. There are various different prints of tie-and-dye depending upon the type of knot that is tied in the fabric. These different prints have different names as well as cowrie shell, Mothara and even Laddoo-Jalebi, named after a popular candy. In the market some craftsmen make felt goods and leather water-bottles while some emboss silver, or make painted horses.
Then there are famous puppet-makers of Jodhpur. The best puppeteers of Rajasthan are the Barlai Bhatts, originally from Jodhpur area. A favorite theme of their puppet show is the bravery of Rathor prince, Amar Singh, who was killed after he slayed five Moughal noblemen single handedly. Another popular theme is the comic drama of the washerman and his wife in their ongoing battle. Puppeteering is an ancient form of entertainment, which according to some is the origin of the Indian stage drama. The puppeteer makes his own two stringed, three foot high marionettes, giving them carved wooden heads and fancy costumes, he speaks through bamboo or leather to give voice to the different puppets while his wife or an assistant plays the drum and elaborates the story. When after many years of performances and use by many generations the puppet gets worn out, it, in, a special ceremony is floated down a holly river, accompanied by prayers. The longer it floats, the higher the gods are judging its life.
