Water-color work: Lord Shiva as "bhikshaatana"

 

The sages at "Daarukaavana" were arrogant that their rituals and sacrifices were more than enough and all of life's goals could be achieved through them. Lord Shiva appears as a "bhikshaatana" (wandering mendicant) and captivates everyone.

Later, he teaches the sages and instructs them that rituals alone cannot be the end-all and be-all of life. While rituals are important from one standpoint, they have some limitations and must necessarily be followed by the "path of enquiry" so that the Truth of life can be known.

The form of Bhikshaatana is tied to this episode in the puranas.

 

It is based on this incident that Ramana Maharishi has composed the vedantic work -"Upadesha saaram" where the entire range of spiritual sadhanas is presented in a step-by-step fashion.

 

The painting is based on a photograph from the net. It is about the size of an A4 sheet on water-color paper.

 

Fatehpur Sikri

We covered Fatehpur Sikri before Rajasthan. The post is in reverse order. Didn't get the time or the wifi connectivity to write this out. The details are going to be sketchy given that it's over a week since we went there. But...for the sake of completeness, will write out something really quick.

There was thick fog as we set out from Agra. The visibility was very poor and the driving slow. And the weather....painfully cold as it has been throughout this trip.

We've taken a guide at every point and it has been useful and informative. Without a guide, these places will be just another set of relics. The guide makes the place come alive...and thankfully, they've all been well informed which made up for the lack of fluency in English.

"Fateh" means victory. Akbar made a pilgrimage on foot from Agra to this place. The sufi saint "Salim Chisti" lived at Sikri which was already an established place. Akbar had no sons at that point in time and he sought the blessings of Salim Chisti. In due course, Akbar and Jodhabai had a son. They called him "Salim" who grew up to be Emperor Jahangir. Salim's birth was a personal victory for Akbar. He decided to move his capital from Agra to Sikri and built an entire city in 8 years. This city became Fatehpur Sikri which had quarter of a million people at one point in time.
UnlikeAgra where the Yamuna flows, Fatehpur Sikri has no rivers. It boasted of a lake. Despite Akbar's efforts to store the rain water in several tanks, (there are examples within the Sikri palace), water scarcity became a problem. After 16 years, Akbar moved his capital back from Fatehpur Sikri to Agra. Fatehpur Sikri became a ghost town.

There are mainly two co-located monuments: the palace and the complex hosuing the Jami Masjid and the dargah of Salim Chisti. More on this later.....


 

At Udaipur

You can’t do justice to Udaipur in a day...more so if you are as unprepared as we were! We didn’t know what to expect. To say that we were overwhelmed is an understatement. Udaipur is one of the most beautiful cities- a roll of the hills all around....beautiful lakes and dotted with some of the most breathtaking palaces. The panoramic view of the entire city from the Karnika Temple leaves you speechless. There’s the City Palace shaped like a colossal ship on one side, the Lake Palace...white as a pearl floating right in the middle of the shimmering Pichola Lake and innumerable spires and domes which jump out of the generous green blanket that covers the city. In the distance is the Fateh Sagar Lake...faintly visible and blending into the grey of the Aravalli ranges.

Udaipur is scenic all right... It is also wrapped in so much of history that makes the experience so rich. Udaipur was built by Raja Udaisingh, the Mevaad King. Chittor, the original capital of the Mevaad kings wasn’t safe anymore. Udaipur was built as a sort of safe haven. Raja Udaisingh was the son of the legendary Sangram Singh (Rana Sanga) who fought against Babur with one eye, one arm and one leg and died in battle. Udaisingh’s son was Maha Rana Pratap who took on the might of Akbar and never surrendered to him throughout his life. It is interesting to note another point connected to Udaisingh. Mirabai, saint, poet and Lord Krishna’s devotee was Udaisingh’s niece!

It was this Udaisingh who built the City Palace at Udaipur. Kings after Udaisingh, including Maha Rana Pratap added elements to the palace...to make it the stunning monument that it is today.

We’ve now got used to the layout of these palaces- there’s a king’s section, a queens’ section (zenana), open courtyards...and opulence aplenty. There are horse stables, arenas for elephant fights, palace doors with spikes to keep marauding elephants away, colorful stained glass windows from Iran, Belgium mirrors, mosaics with peacocks...regal and majestic....and the shrine for the sun which all the kings of the dynasty worshipped. They were Suryavanshis. There are several gates called “pols”- ganesh pol, shiv pol, etc.

Just outside the palace is the “Jagadish” temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. It was constructed after Rana Pratap’s time. The sculptures on the temple facade are beautiful and detailed.

One of the main attractions at the Udaipur city palace are the original artifacts surrounding the battle of Haldighati. The battle of Haldighati is part of folklore. Maha Rana Pratap took on the might of Akbar’s army led by Raja Mansingh I. 18000 soldiers died. Rana Pratap’s favorite horse “Chetak” lost its life but saved the Rana. Rana’s sword, armor, head-gear and spear are displayed. A thrill runs through us and we get goose-bumps to think that Rana Pratap donned this head-gear, wielded this sword...when he went out to fight on that fateful day!

A painting exemplifies Rana Pratap’s valor. In one stroke of the sword, he cut down Bahalol Khan (Ibrahim Lodi’s grandson who had joined the mughals) as well as the horse Bahalol Khan sat on. All...in one single stroke! The guide waxes eloquent. We have rajas, maharajas and finally maharanas. In the list of kings and emperors, a maharana reigns supreme because in addition to being a king, he was fighter!

In a couple of hours, we complete the entire tour. The details will be lost in a few months...but the images will endure. From Kumbhalgarh to Udaipur, we’ve followed the story of the Ranas....such valor, such heroism, such sacrifice.....! What would our lives be....if we didn’t have these fascinating stories to read, to re-read, to dream, to narrate, to recount....and pass on the same story to the next generation!?

  

The kumbhalgarh fort

The guide is at his eloquent best. He moves effortlessly in and out of the stories involving the principal characters- Rana Kumbha, Rana Saanga and Rana Pratap. I wish I had read my high school history well. I wish I had read the Amar Chitra Katha comic strips atleast before this trip.

We are at the Kumbhalgad ("garh" is pronounced as "gad") fort. It's biting cold...chilling to the bone. Low clouds hug the upper reaches of the fort. The mist hangs heavy and leaves a tiny spray on the spectacles. The jackets and scarves and monkey-caps seem woefully inadequate...as a gust of wind hits the face...and turns it white and numb. It does not matter...the stories of the Ranas is more benumbing!

Rana Kumbha just could not begin the construction to this fort. Whatever little was built collapsed the very next day. This pattern continued. Rana Kumbha sought the help of  Kumbh Mehr baba. Baba told him that the problem could be solved only if someone sacrificed his own body- it required a "nar bali". Rana Kumbha was shocked. "But..but..there is no one in the whole of Mevaad who would willingly give up his life!" Rana Kumbha lamented. Mehr baba made the ultimate sacrifice. He told the king to cut off his own head. And wherever the body fell, that's where he should begin the construction of the fort.
"This is where Mehr baba's head was cut!" the guide points to a shrine at the bottom of the fort. And 20 minutes later, at another shrine inside the fort premises, "And..this is where the headless body travelled on its own and fell! And starting here, Rana Kumbha built this entire fort! It is 36 km in circumference...second only to the great wall of China!" the guide gushes.
The fort is called Kumbhalgad in memory of Rana Kumbha as well as "Kumbh Mehr baba". Rana Kumbha went on to build 32 forts in the Mevaad region. Sadly, Rana Kumbha was killed by his own son in the feud for the succession to the throne.

When we talk about Mevaad, we refer to the region  encompassing  Chittor, Udaipur and Kumbhalgad. Chittor was the original captial of the kings of Mevaad. Chittor was the place where that painful episode unfolded....where Queen Padmini gave up her own life ("jauhar") than being captured by Allauddin Khilji. But that story is a couple of hundred years before the time of the Ranas.

Apart from "Mevaad", Rajasthan had 4 other kingdoms- "maarvaad" (desert region with Jodhpur as the capital), "shekhaavaati" (Jaipur region), "mewati" and "hadoti". Of course, we restrict our story to the kings of Mevaad.

After Rana Kumbha, came Rana Saanga. Rana Saanga lost one eye during his childhood. In the war with the mughal emperor Babur, he lost one arm and one leg. Still, he continued to fight and eventually lost his life in battle.

Next came....Maha Rana Pratap. He was born at Kumbhalgad fort. He crossed swords with the Mughal king Akbar and not once...not once did he bow down to Akbar's suzereinty. In the battle of Haldighati, Rana Pratap was severely wounded. But his horse "chetak" helped him escape even at the cost of losing its own life. This incident is of course part of India's immortal folklore.
Intrerestingly, when Akbar attacked Rana Pratap, Akbar's commander-in-chief was Raja Mansingh I, who was the King of Jaipur. Akbar wanted Rana Pratap captured alive. It never happened.

Rana Pratap died at the age of 57. The "good news" reached Akbar that his sworn enemy was no more. Akbar, apparently shed tears and said that Rana Pratap couldn't die. He had become immortal.

The story is rivetting. How much heroism and spirit of sacrifice filled these kings? We look at our own lives in contrast...and wonder how pedestrian a life...we lead!
"Bolo maha rana pratap ki"....shouts one of the members in the group. There is a lukewarm response of "jai" from the audience. "Arey....at least you can shout "jai" with more vigour and enthusiasm!! You don't have even that much strength?" the man chides us. He is right!!



 

The Mehrangad fort at Jodhpur

"This surely should have been constructed by giants!" exclaimed Rudyard Kipling when he saw the  Mehrangad fort. It is not an exaggeration. The fort is so imposing that you search for words to express yourself adequately. It rises over the hillock layer upon layer....straight out of the sets of "The Lord of the Rings". This has to be the most impregnable fort ever. It instills that kind of unflinching confidence!

The Fort at Mehrangad was constructed by the Rathore kings of Jodhpur. Rao Jodha began the construction of this fort in 1459. Later kings made further additions to the fort. The Rathore kings were "suryavanshis" (kings belonging to the "solar" dynasty). "Mehrangad" gets its name from "mihir", one of the names of the sun.   Before the fort was constructed, the Rathore kings ruled from Mandoe, which was about 10 km away, on the plains. The fort covers 10 kms in circumference.

Jodhpur was the capital of the "maarvaad" region. Townships like "Pali", "Nagour" and even parts of Sindh in Pakistan comprised  "maarvaad". On the other hand, Udaipur and regions surrounding it formed the "mevaad" territory. In its time, "maarvaad" was one of the biggest kingdoms.

The fort at Mehrangad witnessed many battles. The kings of Jaipur attacked it and scarred its surface with cannon shots. But the fort did not give way. In commemoration of this victory, the main entrance to the fort is called the "victory gate". It was also attacked by the armies of Sher Shah Suri and  Aurangzeb. For some time, the Rathore kings were displaced, but  regained the fort in due course of time.

The main entrance to the fort is strategically positioned "on a right-angle bend". It ensures that elephants cannot get straight access to pound the gate with full force. As we walk further, a group of hands are imprinted on the fort walls. They are in memory of the women who sacrificed their lives as "satis" before the practice was banned in the 1840s.

The maarvaad flag flutters across our path. It has five colors- saffron, white, red, yellow and green. While the lower parts of the fort are stone walled, the palace itself is constructed out of red sandstone...though it has a "wood-like" feel and appearance.

We are now in the open courtyard called the Shringar Chowk where the coronation ceremony for the new king is held. Since the last king of Jodhpur was a small boy of 4, his child-like, small chair is on display. The courtyard is surrounded by balconies, which form a vantage point to view the proceedings in the courtyard. The courtyard leads to a section which displays numerous artifacts.

Varieties of howdas, including the one gifted by Shah Jahan to the king of Jodhpur, varieties of palanquins (palkis) and "dolis" (palanquins used during weddings), "torans" (hangings used to decorate the venue during weddings) make interesting viewing.

It is a bewildering compilation of items- exquisite bottles shaped like human beings used by queens to quaff wine, paan-boxes, cosmetic boxes, dumbells used for exercising by queens, hookahs, pots made with silver-inlay technique imported from Bidar (in North Karnataka), carpet weights (like paper weights) made using camel-bones, tunics used by the kings, head-gears ("pagdis")...it goes on and on.

Maarvaadi miniature paintings fill an entire section. The unique characteristic of maarvaadi painting, as per the tourist guide, is that 99% of the works have "side-faced human beings" (profiles). The themes revolve around Krishna and his leelas and other Gods like Shiva and Vishnu.

The halls on the top floor are impressive- with colorful, stained glass imported from Belgium and walls and ceilings decorated with miniature stule paintings. The artist died midway and as a mark of respect to him, the king left the rest of the wall plain and unpainted, the guide explains.

The armory section is covered in one quick stroll. Evidently, "ahimsa paramo dharmah" is not a dictum that kings can follow! The hall is littered with swords, daggers, guns and the like.

One of the colorful kings of the Rathore dynasty was Takhat Singh. His bedroom is found on the top floor- complete with a bed, manual fan and miniature paintings all around. "He had 30 wives and 29 extras!" the guide mentions and leaves the rest to our fertile imagination!

The "sheesh mahal" (room of mirrors) occupies one of the top floors. By now, we know what to expect. The  mirrors are from Belgium and similar to what we've seen at the Amber Palace in Jaipur, but not as spectacular.

The German painter Muller's works  (1930s) can be found at the City Palace in Jaipur. One of his paintings at the Fort of Mehrangad depicts the exploits of "Veer Durgadas Rathod". This soldier was responsible for keeping the Rathore dynasty alive. He protected the crown prince of Jodhpur from enemies who bayed for blood.He  bided his time for 28  long years till the death of Aurangzeb, after which, he helped the crown prince to regain the kingdom of Jodhpur. His bravery is now folklore in the maarvaad region.

A panaromic view of the "blue city" of Jodhpur completes the tour. In earlier times, the blue color marked the houses where Brahmins stayed. Not anymore, the guide quickly adds. Today, the color keeps the homes cool in summer. Some landmarks stand out from the rest of the sweeping landscape- the current palace of the kings of Jodhpur and another monument in a role reversal of sorts- it was built by the queen for the deceased King of Jodhpur.

As we drove from Jaipur to Jodhpur, it seemed a never ending journey. Jodhpur was simply too far and we wondered if we could have cut Jodhpur out of the itinerary.

There was little doubt as we stepped out of the Fort at Mehrangad. This was something which couldn't be missed! Truly, the giants had been at work. It is beyond the ken of normal human dexterity and effort!