The History
Horses have been an integral part of the Rajasthan history and culture for ages. The hot-blooded desert horse with a thick, arched neck, long-lashed eyes and flaring nostrils, the Rajasthani horse was bred for battle by the Rathores, a clan of fierce warriors belonging to India’s Rajput, or princely, caste of rulers.
#DidYouKnow The prince who founded the ruling dynasty of Marwar came circa 1212 with an army of only 200 animals. But after 11 generations and many battles, the clan ruled a kingdom three times as large as Belgium, conquering most of what is now the state of Rajasthan in northwest India.
Proud to a fault and honouring a glorious death above all, these martial Hindus bred into the Marwari Horse its temperament—passionate, showy and quick-tempered, but capable also of terrific bravery. They also bred into it its most distinctive physical characteristic: ears that curve inward to a sharp point, meeting to form a near perfect arch at the tips.
The Hindu Rajputs faced an era of almost constant war with the Mughals. During this time they employed a legion of bards to chronicle their exploits—and as expected, there are a few about the horses too.
One folklore glorifies the horse of Amar Singh, a Rajput who, when cornered by the soldiers of the Mughal king Shah Jahan, spurred his fearless horse over a 70 feet high rampart of the Agra fort. The animal died in the fall, but Singh somehow made it to his walled mansion before soldiers caught up with him. Another legend sings the praises of Chetak, a grey stallion that sacrificed his life for Maharana Pratap—the last Rajput to succumb to the Moguls—in the 1576 battle of Haldighati. The story goes that even with one of his hind legs hacked off above the hoof, Chetak carried Rana Pratap away to safety. And so, more than 400 years later, the stallion’s name still lives on.
Polo
As the last of the rajput rulers accepted the Mughal rule, the Mughal culture, traditions, and sports - including Polo found their way in the everyday life of Rajasthan. In Jaipur, the polo tradition dates back to Raja Man Singh Ji, King of Amber, who in the 16th century had taken a keen interest in chaugan, as the Mughals called polo, while staying in Akbar’s court. Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh, three generations later, built a sophisticated polo field next to his palace, starting a long tradition of opening elaborate grounds in which to play the game.
#DidYouKnow It was Jai Singh who shifted the capital from Amber to Jaipur, and the city is thus, named after him.
But it was Sawai Man Singh II, in the mid 20th century, who brought the Jaipur polo tradition to its climax as he became one of the most celebrated international players, reaching a level 9 handicap. The tradition continues with his grandson, the prince Padmanabh Singh holding the record for being the youngest player ever to play in the world cup!
The Present
So what does the Royal City has to offer to the present day traveller? We give you a chance to understand the significance of the the mighty horse and experience it in modernity and luxury. Our Horse Experience are designed to give you a deeper understanding of the beautiful beasts and to be with them in their natural surroundings, with expert guidance to make it an unforgettable part of your trip.
The Horse Safari
A horse experience like no other, where we whisk you away to a farm in the countryside. Here the Polo ponies are reared and trained with experts in the field. Here you can take a walk around the stables, get to know the horses and take basic riding lessons. Once thats done, our experts take you for a fun ride around the nearby village helping you not only understand the animal, its importance in Polo and the ethos of the city, but also enables you to get a closer look into the rural heart of Rajasthan !
Basics of Polo
Your trainer will walk you through the basics of polo - Including a short lesson on tacking-up the horse and help you get comfortable with your equine buddy for the day. You’ll learn about the rules of the sport, about the mallet and the ball and once you’re ready, take your horse for a ride around the dedicated arena for a few rounds of the royal sport for a brag-worthy vacation!
Polo Holidays
For the aficionados who are already in love with the horses and the sport, we can arrange for the ground, equipment and players to play a few chukkars with. Now doesn’t that sound like a perfect Polo Holiday!
So the next time you’re in the Pink City take out some time to horse around too!
For more information write to us at info@thethingstodoinindia.com
Sources - Smithsonianmag.com
