[PREV. PAGE]

Chetak Country [contd]

Sunny is glowing now: "Cow is holy but a horse is divine! We always address our horse with a formal respect. Other animals eat, but a horse always 'partakes of it's meal'. Other animals get pregnant but our horses get into 'an auspicious way'.

"As for his intelligence, a lone rider had only to let his Marwari horse loose in the wastelands, and he will lead him to a water hole!"

The Chawras originated in Gujarat and were an influential clan before the Moghul period.

Slowly his forefathers became commanders in the Mewar armies. Sunny himself had been a businessman, an aide to Maharani Gayatri Devi and a farmer, before he set out to create in Kot Kaladwas, a bit of old Rajasthan.

He has built a shrine for a deity that originated in Gujarat. His hands at Kot Kaladwas are Bhil tribals. They are small made and seem meek.

"Don't you make a mistake! They are gentle and make great friends. But in battle they are implacable enemies!

Rana Pratap's strength was his camaraderie with the Bhils. At the Rana Pratap Memorial site there is a prominent statute of Bhiloo Raja, the chieftain who stood by the Rana. His childhood was spent among them, and they called him Kika [loveable child]. There is a Bhil archer in the Mewar coat of arms. The affinity between the Rajputs and Bhils continues till this day!"

We walk to the shrine for the pooja. There are several of us: Sunny, his wife and his son; Sajjan Singh Ranawat, the secretary of the Maharana Pratap Smarak Samiti [Memorial Trust]; Billa Edwards who helps market Kot Kaladwas to the west; Philippa Kay, a scout for an English tourism company; his staff of four and myself.

The shrine is a hut and it is dark but for an oil lamp. All is quiet as Sunny begins to recite a hymn to the goddess.Then he holds a ceremonial lamp and begins to wave an arati. Cued, the Bhils start on their drums and gongs. One blows the conch. This is riveting theatre.

We return to the courtyard and have a few drinks. Sunny and Billa keep darting off every few moments to get their star horse dressed for a performance. The horse wears a somewhat gaudy livery. It has a fine plume and anklets! The Bhils begin their drum work. Sunny approaches the horse and puts it through the paces. It prances, head down and tries to sync with the beat. Then in a flash, Sunny leaps atop. He is intent as he works the reins and gets the horse to dance. It's more messaging really! They - Sunny and his horse- are reaffirming their centuries old relationship: for all the change around, we will endure! The Bhils understand the scene and rev up the mood. After a very long ten-minutes, Sunny descends, puts his head to the horse's and is silent. It's their private moment.

We break up! And adjourn for dinner. And what a dinner. An unforgettable spinach and corn bake. Delicately herbed lamb curry and puffy hot rotis, smeared with butter. All, produce of the campus!    [NEXT PAGE]