Field trip to the "Sun City" [Jodhpur]

Hello,

This post is about a visit to Jodhpur, Rajasthan along with some of my classmates and two Professors as part of our Sociology honours programme. 

Day 1: 14^th December’15

After reaching Jodhpur in the morning of 14^th Dec, we checked into Mangal Haveli guest house that offered a beautiful view of Mehrangarh fort from its terrace and was in close proximity to the clock tower and the fort.

View from Guest house

This day was entirely dedicated to exploring the Mehrangarh fort and its vast museum complex. The fort was built by Rao Jodha and is flanked by seven gates or ‘pols’. The grandeur and the architecture of the place left many of us spellbound. Luckily, we were blessed with a well-informed and patient guide that offered us a historical overview of the fort, interesting observations and the socio-cultural realities of that time. While entering from one of the huge gates, we were taken aback to notice handprints of multiple women on a brick wall. It was a collective interpretation that the practice of Sati was common then and the widows left their handprints on the wall just before immolating themselves, largely out of societal pressure.

Also, we interestingly observed the sociological significance of intricate Jharokha style windows in the complex. They suggested that it was a product of our patriarchal society where women were not allowed to actively participate in certain ceremonies but were merely mute spectators sitting by the jharokha. View from these windows was one directional and only the women could look outside while they were shielded from public gaze. Inside the museum, we were visually treated by a collection of palanquins, howdahs, royal cradles, miniatures, musical instruments, costumes, furniture and Marwar 

paintings.

Day 2: 15^th December’15

We left our guest house in the morning to pack ourselves into jeeps from the clock tower for village safari to Bishnoi village. We interacted with rural men and women of a family we visited and were impressed to notice their intimate bond with nature, especially in terms of their lifestyle that emphasizes on sustainable living. Bishnois are known to be protectors of biodiversity and have even sacrificed their lives to protect trees by hugging them. There was a strict division of labour between the roles performed by the husband and wife. While the man worked outside to earn a living (taxi driver, in our case) the woman would handle the domestic sphere taking care of the household, meals and children. 

Guda Bishnoi Lake offered a serene breathtaking view of wildlife, khejri trees and water. Here, we could spot exotic blackbucks from our naked eyes and got an amazing view using binoculars, a memory we cherish. We crossed the area where Salman Khan shot a blackbuck in 1998 which is more like a tourist spot now.

We also interacted with a potter, a weaver at Salawas and the men involved in block printing fabrics. The Potter was a happy go lucky fellow who was interestingly very contented with his work and life with no temptation to migrate to a city for higher pay. After meeting the weaver, we got to know that 1 "durry" (a rug different from carpet) took around 6 months to complete if worked on by a single person. Our respect for the old man automatically rose since some of us tried our hand at weaving and understood how laborious and straining the whole process was. The block print work using handmade blocks on bed sheets and table covers was beautiful. The artisan revealed that even women contributed to the long complicated process of block printing but their work did not require them to leave the house and only men went out to sell the finished goods.

In the evening, some of us visited a cenotaph built by Maharaja Sardar Singh in the memory of his father Maharaja Jaswant Singh II by the name Jaswant Thada. This beautiful place with Mughal style gardens now serves as a burial ground for Marwar rulers.

Jaswant Thada

Day 3: 16^th December’15

In the morning, we headed to Umaid Bhawan Palace named after Maharaja Umaid Singh, grandfather of Gaj Singh, the erstwhile Maharaja of Jodhpur. The Palace is divided into three functional parts – the residence of the royal family, a luxury Taj Palace Hotel, and a Museum dedicated to the royal family.

View of the "Blue City" from right outside the Palace 

Since we had more time at our disposal, we also visited Mandore located 9 km away from Jodhpur. Mandore was the capital of the erstwhile princely state of Marwar (Jodhpur State). Ravan temple is another attraction at Mandore. It is believed to be the native place of Ravan's wife Mandodari. 

At Mandore garden, there were several fun rides and we relived our childhood days.

Last but not the least, we visited the historical Ghanta Ghar(Clock Tower) during our stay in Jodhpur which is a prominent structure in old Jodhpur.

This visit exposed us to some new experiences where we could discern the binding ties of caste and kinship along with instances of their interplay, some of which are mentioned above.

Day 4: 17^th December’15

We reached Old Delhi Railway Station in the morning via Mandor Express ending our lovely tour, gathering some beautiful memories we'll cherish forever, as well as insights into life in Jodhpur then and now.

Most photographs by - Pritish Raj, Durga P. Reddy