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in India and overseas. They attend<br />
fairs, organize shows, and have<br />
published an inf luential book on the<br />
breed, Marwari: Legend of the Indian<br />
Horse. Most significantly, they<br />
lobbied the government for a change<br />
in export policy, and have<br />
successfully sent six Marwari to the<br />
US and 19 to Sri Lanka. The creation<br />
of an international market is sending<br />
prices up, benefiting everyone from<br />
the top breeders down to the village<br />
farmer. However, not everyone is<br />
optimistic. Thakur Mahendra Singh<br />
Bhati worries that 'all the best horses<br />
will go outside India, and then we'll<br />
be back where we started'. Despite<br />
there being no protocol yet for<br />
imports into Europe, four are destined<br />
for Barcelona, and five for<br />
Daylesford Stud in Gloucestershire.<br />
If successful, it will be the first time<br />
that the breed is seen in the UK.<br />
As tourism to the region<br />
increases, breeders are offering rural<br />
horse-safaris from their luxuriously<br />
restored properties, which operate<br />
under the label of Heritage Hotel.<br />
This brings a significant new source<br />
of income which helps to finance the<br />
horses. I joined one such venture,<br />
Royal Riding Holidays, at the annual<br />
Balotra Fair, where many Marwari<br />
are traded. Resurrecting medieval<br />
royal traditions, the luxury traveling<br />
camp is attended by a retinue of staff.<br />
As I arrive, an assortment of colourful<br />
tents is unfurled to create an enclosed<br />
area around a campfire. Suddenly, a<br />
lookout spots the riders galloping<br />
down the lane, and everybody jumps<br />
to attention as five splendid Marwari<br />
pull up in a cloud of dust. So began<br />
my visit to the Balotra Fair, a biblical<br />
spectacle of traders and nomads that<br />
remains unspoilt due to its<br />
remoteness. The two-week event<br />
culminates in equine competitions<br />
and an endurance race, presided over<br />
by the Maharaja of Jodhpur, which<br />
lends significant weight to the<br />
importance of this key event.<br />
TOURISM<br />
Although the Marwari's revival<br />
is the focal issue, for the Rajputs,<br />
there is much more at stake. Having<br />
lost land and privileges, losing their<br />
lifelong partner would be a<br />
catastrophic blow. The near<br />
extinction of the Marwari set alarm<br />
bells ringing. <strong>Today</strong>'s Rajputs<br />
recognise the need to adapt. After a<br />
painful lapse, they are re-embracing a<br />
deep-rooted equine tradition. In<br />
changing times, and still passionate<br />
about horses, Rajputs are having to<br />
reinvent themselves. History is<br />
repeating itself, now that the Marwari<br />
has become a status symbol once<br />
again. ■<br />
November <strong>2007</strong> ✦ <strong>Pravasi</strong> <strong>Today</strong><br />
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