Unbridled passion : Spice: India Today

Unbridled passion : Spice: India Today


Varoon P. Anand | May 27, 2011 | Updated 14:03 IST

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Procession of royal horses at Udaipur Palace

On June 21, 1576, the legendary Maharana Pratap of Mewar took up arms to protect his people from the Mughals. Vastly outnumbered and gravely wounded, he fell unconscious on the battlefield. General Chetak took it upon himself to rescue his King and valiantly fought his way to the safety of a stream. There, Chetak succumbed to his own wounds in the arms of his King. At the site, the Mahrana later erected a memorial dedicated to the courage of his general, companion, and royal steed.

"One cannot separate a Rajput from his horse; the reliance and dependence of the Rajput on his horse can, in no way, be undermined", claims Shriji Arvind Singhji Mewar of Udaipur. Custodian of the world's oldest continuously serving dynasty, Shriji is devoted to rescuing Chetak's lineage-the vanishing indigenous Marwari horse breed.

In fact, at Shikar Badi, Shriji's royal stud farm and stables, on the outskirts of Udaipur, Wanderlust, a descendant of the mighty Chetak still struts around proudly. I was afforded an opportunity by the royal family to visit Shikar Badi to gauge a deeper understanding of this legendary connection between aristocracy and the animal. Shriji requested his son-in-law, Thakur Lokender Singh of Kotadi, to assist me in my quest.

Nine-year-old Udaipur stallion Raj Roop adorned with traditional ceremonial jewellery

Singh has been a horse trainer for 25 years and has also captained India's polo team. His affectionate command of the royal horses begs the question about the enduring regal fascination with this majestic creature. Singh explains: "they are godly animals. Mewar has always been very close to its horses; in the earlier days, war defined life and victory depended on horses. They were your legs."

Less than a century ago, horses played an indispensable role, especially in the lives of martial clans like the Rajputs. They functioned as the primary source of transport, for war, and as trusted companions. Singh informs me that, at its acme, the Udaipur palace housed 500 stables and a giant cavalry. With the rise of mechanical transport, the horse's cultural and practical function practically vanished in entirely. As a result, most of the royal families closed down or at least downsized their stables.

One of the 50 horses housed at Shikar Badi in Udaipur, the polo training ground is visible in the background

Money was an important criteria since the running of a royal stable is a giant endeavour that entails massive financial investment. So it was Shriji, who, seeing how far the legendary Marwari breed had been decimated, took it upon himself to personally travel the country to find the best Marwari stock and bring them to Shikar Badi for breeding. They now have close to 50 horses, including some of the best Marwari horses in the world. But, they're not the only ones preserving the majesty of these longtime royal companions.

History speaks of a war between Jaipur and the Marathas, when a Maratha soldier executed a Shekhawat warrior for his refusal to hand over his horse. In response, the Shekhawats attacked the Marathas and killed more than 6000. Kunwar Raghuvendra Singh Dundlod of the Shekhawat clan, founded the Indigenous Horse Society of India in 1997 with the same pride in protecting India's horses from extinction as Shriji himself.

Risaldar Ranveer Singh stands with Raj Tilak adorned with the Jerbandh cloth hanging under the neck tied to the Mohara

The IHSI was instrumental in repealing the government ban on export of the horses in 2000. That year six Marwari horses were sent from India to the US, under the care of Francesca Kelly (American breeder, who was the first to import the Marwari breed). Currently, Kelly has nine indigenous horses as part of her herd on the island of Martha's Vineyard, and has exported a stallion to France and another stallion and two mares to Spain.

While the EU still has a total ban on horse imports from India, they have clearly overlooked the contradiction in importing an Indian breed when it comes from the United States.

Horse breeding remains an expensive proposition only available to royalty and the wealthy in India. Singh says that there is at least one attendant per horse at Shikar Badi, and that doesn't include the veterinarians, feeders, managers, and equipment costs. It is estimated that the annual cost of boarding a horse is roughly $20,000 (Rs 9 lakh).

Add another $10,000 (Rs 4.5 lakh) for medical protocol and the expenditure on barn managers can be as high as $100,000 (Rs 4.5 crore). The good news for the breed though, is that the value of these fine horses is being appreciated abroad.

Shriji Arvind Singhji Mewar conducting the Ashawa Poojan

Kelly sold three of the Marwari horses in Spain for $ 25,000 (Rs 11 lakh) each and is expecting to sell three more in the US for $100,000 (Rs 4.5 crore) this year. Repealing the ban has allowed the Marwari horses to become an internationally recognized breed, whose value can finally be appraised.

After speaking with royal horse trainers like Lokender and Raghuvendra Singh, I capture a sense of courage, loyalty, patience and affection; the same characteristics used to classify the horses. Perhaps this is why Shriji brought back the ancient tradition of Ashawa Poojan or horse worship. According to Shriji, "on the ninth day of Navratri, Ram-Navami, Rajputs everywhere recognise the various aspects of the horse on which their dependence and survival depends."

Shriji describes the inseparability of the Rajput identity and the horse, which is why he considers it a duty to commemorate the bond on this one day each year. The Ashawa Poojan procession takes place in October, but to complete my education, a horse procession at Udaipur palace was arranged exclusively for Spice under the watchful eye of Lokender Singh.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,....................