NOVEMBER 2007 E-Magazine - Pravasi Today

to divine status. The royal family of
Udaipur continue this tradition with
an annual puja ceremony, in which
the Maharana of the time blesses the
heads of his Marwari with tilak paste,
in gratitude for their role in the
monarchy's survival.
Maharaj Narendra Singh, a top
breeder of Marwari since 1972, hosts
the Chetak Horse Show at Haldighati,
which creates a demand for his stud,
promotes equestrian tourism, and
increases international awareness of
the breed. On my arrival at his stud,
negotiations were under way with a
visiting breeder for the Maharaj's
stallion to cover a mare, for which he
pocketed an easy 11,000 rupees
(£130). Later, I joined other guests for
an evening ride through green fields
worked by women in red saris, who
secured their veils with one hand as
they looked up.
A Hindu groom traditionally
arrives at his wedding on horseback.
Marwari can be trained to dance for
ceremonies, but, generally, a groom's
choice depends on colour rather than
breed; an albino stallion is often
considered the most auspicious. Arun
Nayar chose a dark bay Marwari for
his nuptials at the Umaid Bhawan
Palace in Jodhpur, one of 25 hired
from Dr Ajeet Singh, who follows in
his father's footsteps as a breeder. He
told me he wants to increase the
quality of the breed in his area:
'Villagers can't afford cover from
good stallions, so I charge only a
nominal fee (about £6).'
The British recognised the
warlike trait instilled in young Rajput
men, and recruited them for their
colonial army. The last military action
that they and their Marwari horses
participated in was the Battle of
Megiddo at Haifa in 1918, when,
under General Allenby, the Jodhpur
Lancers led a brave charge against
Turkish machine-gun fire.
At his family home at Kotri,
Thakur Mahendra Singh Ghanerao
reminded me how quickly times have
changed. 'My grandfather used to
TOURISM
have 500 horses. He had his own
police and army, so he needed them.'
Every noble family had to keep horses
for battle call-up. Following
independence in 1947, most of their
land was given to the landless, and the
withdrawal of the Privy Purse meant
costs became prohibitive. With no
battles to fight, and changing
transport means, the Marwari became
redundant.
The British in India preferred
their own Thoroughbreds, and also
imported Whalers from Australia.
Durga Singh Mandawa suggests why:
'You need to make friends with the
Marwari first before training it. For
the British, this wasn't in their nature
or will.' The Marwari were shot,
castrated, or given away to farmers. In
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