Jaipur Taylor: On the dry plains of the desert state of Rajasthan lies Jaipur. The Indians call it the pink city because much of the old town is built of sandstone, the colour of a sunset. 22.06.13
Jaipur lies at a crossroads in the desert. The trading routes brought power and wealth. That allowed the kings of Rajasthan, the Maharajas, to build palaces on a grand scale.
The graces and sophistication of the old nobility survive in other ways. Jaipur is the home of polo.
Invented in India in the 13th century, in the remote mountainous state of Manipur, polo provides a link with the past.
Taylor at Polo match Taylor: Polo may have originated in India’s remote north-east, but it’s here in Jaipur that the game has been refined to become the past time of nobility, and the quintessential game of the British Raj. And here the Maharajahs have addend an extra twist. For once a year they play polo, not on lightning fast steeds, but on those giants of the jungle, the elephant. 22.59.10
Elephants lined up Always sanguine, the elephants are dressed in the finery befitting royalty. Preparations are intense as each owner tries to outdo his competitors. And they must be the best set of painted nails I’ve ever seen. 23.18.10
Decorated elephant Team member: It’s the day before the Festival of Holi so we decorate the elephants, play elephant polo, and have elephant races. 23.39..09
Woman dancing Taylor: The crowd is warmed up with some pre-match entertainment. 23.21.19
Finally the riders and mahouts climb aboard their mounts in preparation for the game. I, for one, find it hard to tell who’s on what team, although I’m assured you can tell from the colour of the turbans.
Taylor: Polo is usually a game that requires great skill, and a good eye to connect mallet with ball. In the elephant variety, it’s all a little more hit and miss.
Polo field To make things easier it matters not which end you score a goal, and even that can be a long, long process. 24.40.13
And there’s always the occasional accident to contend with. Eventually though, the fellas in the yellow turbans come out on top.
Later, back in the equivalent of the proverbial dressing room, I get a chance to meet the boys. Not a particularly effusive bunch, though.
Team leader Team leader: We use horses more often ¾ this is only for entertainment. The old maharajas used to play this game sometimes and the tradition has been kept alive for the entertainment of the crowd. It’s played at a slow speed, on a small ground so it’s easier to watch. 25.20.20
Dancing Taylor: With the main event over, its back to the festivities. At these kind of events there’s no standing on the sideline, and there’s also a few surprises. Joining in, I unknowingly find myself dancing with an eunuch. 25.39..05
By now the celebration are kicking into high gear, as it’s the Hindu Festival of Colours, or Holi. That’s just an excuse to get as much fluorescent paint on everyone else as you can. It’s a game that the locals gladly let the tourists in on.
In typically Indian fashion, it all extremely chaotic, but very colourful. And a lot of fun. The elephants have been put to bed, the polo mallets hung up. And in the pink city, the celebrations look set to continue well into the night.
Negus Negus: Gordon Taylor in Jaipur. Gordon was the one waving his arms around and calling it dancing. Sorry, Gordon. See you next week. 26.55.16
Music
Jaipur lies at a crossroads in the desert. The trading routes brought power and wealth. That allowed the kings of Rajasthan, the Maharajas, to build palaces on a grand scale.
The graces and sophistication of the old nobility survive in other ways. Jaipur is the home of polo.
Invented in India in the 13th century, in the remote mountainous state of Manipur, polo provides a link with the past.
Taylor at Polo match Taylor: Polo may have originated in India’s remote north-east, but it’s here in Jaipur that the game has been refined to become the past time of nobility, and the quintessential game of the British Raj. And here the Maharajahs have addend an extra twist. For once a year they play polo, not on lightning fast steeds, but on those giants of the jungle, the elephant. 22.59.10
Elephants lined up Always sanguine, the elephants are dressed in the finery befitting royalty. Preparations are intense as each owner tries to outdo his competitors. And they must be the best set of painted nails I’ve ever seen. 23.18.10
Decorated elephant Team member: It’s the day before the Festival of Holi so we decorate the elephants, play elephant polo, and have elephant races. 23.39..09
Woman dancing Taylor: The crowd is warmed up with some pre-match entertainment. 23.21.19
Finally the riders and mahouts climb aboard their mounts in preparation for the game. I, for one, find it hard to tell who’s on what team, although I’m assured you can tell from the colour of the turbans.
Taylor: Polo is usually a game that requires great skill, and a good eye to connect mallet with ball. In the elephant variety, it’s all a little more hit and miss.
Polo field To make things easier it matters not which end you score a goal, and even that can be a long, long process. 24.40.13
And there’s always the occasional accident to contend with. Eventually though, the fellas in the yellow turbans come out on top.
Later, back in the equivalent of the proverbial dressing room, I get a chance to meet the boys. Not a particularly effusive bunch, though.
Team leader Team leader: We use horses more often ¾ this is only for entertainment. The old maharajas used to play this game sometimes and the tradition has been kept alive for the entertainment of the crowd. It’s played at a slow speed, on a small ground so it’s easier to watch. 25.20.20
Dancing Taylor: With the main event over, its back to the festivities. At these kind of events there’s no standing on the sideline, and there’s also a few surprises. Joining in, I unknowingly find myself dancing with an eunuch. 25.39..05
By now the celebration are kicking into high gear, as it’s the Hindu Festival of Colours, or Holi. That’s just an excuse to get as much fluorescent paint on everyone else as you can. It’s a game that the locals gladly let the tourists in on.
In typically Indian fashion, it all extremely chaotic, but very colourful. And a lot of fun. The elephants have been put to bed, the polo mallets hung up. And in the pink city, the celebrations look set to continue well into the night.
Negus Negus: Gordon Taylor in Jaipur. Gordon was the one waving his arms around and calling it dancing. Sorry, Gordon. See you next week. 26.55.16
Music