How Gajsingh II made Jodhpur a tourism hotspot

In Hindu mythology, the first human couple were Manu and Shatarupa – Shatarupa being the daughter of Lord Brahma, the creator of the universe. They were created by the gods to populate the earth after a great flood. The Sanskrit terms manushya and manava, both meaning “of Manu” or “descendants of Manu”, trace humanity back to this divine pair. Shatarupa, whose name means “she of a hundred forms”, is revered as the mother of all humankind. With such divine origins, one might expect their descendants to be flawless. Yet history has revealed our many imperfections. Despite being the only species endowed with reasoning and the ability to choose, the gift of free will often led not to the inheritance of gain, but to loss – born from misguided choices. This, perhaps, is why Hindu philosophy speaks of the cycle of rebirth: to offer us repeated chances to correct our course, with the ultimate goal of attaining moksha – liberation from the cycle of life and death.

In Hinduism, past deeds are said to dictate your present. To be well-born presumes you have performed favourably in your previous avatar(s). This privilege comes with responsibility. The onus of maintaining a legacy is challenging enough, but add to this the accumulated burden of eight centuries of a continuum. The weight of the crown on the head of the four-year-old Gajsingh was daunting indeed. Overnight, Gajsingh became Bapji: “The child became father of the man.”

Ruminating on the years gone by, Bapji contemplates on his legacy, on the things he wishes to leave behind. “If I have managed to motivate even a fraction of the people to embrace and celebrate their heritage and culture, I will consider myself successful.” He says softly, “This to me would be the ultimate gift to my homeland. If I’ve remained true to my roots and people throughout my life, I won’t fret over the legacy I leave behind. If my mission and vision endure through our youth upholding our culture, values and traditions and respecting and raising the honour of the land they belong to and stay united, I will feel fulfilled. As each ancient monument thrives and our illustrious history shines brighter, I’ll find contentment knowing I’ve lived a meaningful life.”

With the glint in his eye shining brighter, he continues, “I take pride in the enduring bond of aapnayat, or ownness, cherished by the people of Jodhpur, which forms the foundation of our identity. I have been able to carry forward my responsibility and contribute privately to our former state Marwar-Jodhpur like a patriotic citizen. I derive my strength and inspiration as the head of the Rathore clan, the clan that has ruled this region for eight centuries. My descendants are destined to carry on this commitment for years to come.”

Looking back on his past, his return from England after 14 years in 1970 at age 22 was met with immense hurdles. The ground had shifted dramatically. The special privileges guaranteed to the royals by the Constitution were revoked by an Amendment to the Constitution and they became “ordinary citizens”. Everything around him was collapsing. Losing their special privileges meant starting from scratch and in an environment where politicians, the press, the media and the administration were hostile, leveraging public opinion against them and their families, just to gain political favour.

However, in Jodhpur, no political advantage was gained, and people stood resolutely with Bapji and the royal family. Rajmata Krishna Kumari won the Lok Sabha seat from Jodhpur against all odds the very next year.

Yet, for a young man brimming with ambitions, it was incredibly frustrating. The first ten years were a relentless struggle. With a dedicated team, he restructured and created companies as well as instilled trust from the ground up, fought legal battles and navigated a system stacked against them. The landscape was rife with challenges, demanding resilience, strategic manoeuvring and unwavering determination to forge ahead despite the adversities.

Bapji inherited many white elephants, to reclaim some of which he had to fight with the government, pay taxes and with the privy purse abolished, had no means to look after them. But slowly, with grit, foresight, patience and junoon (passion) to uphold his heritage and not let his inheritance turn to rubble, he reincarnated them into meaningful, self-sustaining spaces.

Umaid Bhawan Palace – What became a burden to maintain with its 347 rooms and as many staff, is now an uber luxury palace hotel ranked amongst the best in the world, run by Taj Hotels.

Mehrangarh Fort – This imposing 15th-century fort, built by Rao Jodha, has been turned around into one of the world’s best museums, showcasing the glorious art, music and culture of the Rathores and attracting over a million footfalls annually.

Bal Samand Lake Palace – This man-made lake was built in 1159 CE by the Gurjara-Pratihara rulers. In the 16th century, Maharaja Sur Singh embellished its environs with lush gardens, planting mango, papaya and pomegranate trees.

Nagaur – The historic city of Nagaur lies 140 kilometres north of Jodhpur and is halfway to Bikaner. For many centuries, it lay on a major trade route connecting Sindh and Multan (now in Pakistan) with Delhi and the commercial towns of Gujarat. Located at the core of Rajasthan, it was an important centre of trade, as also of Sufism.

Ahichhatragarh Fort (literally, cobra-hooded fort) was built in the fourth century CE by the ruling Naga kings. The city of Nagaur developed around the fort. It became one of the first strongholds of the Muslim rulers till the Rathore Rajputs came into power. It was the fortress of the legendary Rao Amar Singh who met his end after killing Emperor Shah Jahan’s brother-in-law in open court at Agra Fort and flinging a dagger at the emperor.

In the 18th century, Maharaja Bakhat Singh built a magnificent garden palace within the fort. As trade declined with alternative routes coming into use, the city went into a downturn. Nagaur has always retained strong ties with Jodhpur and the fort returned to the care of the Mehrangarh Museum Trust in 1985.

The extreme neglect under the tenancy of the State Government of Rajasthan and then the Border Security Force had turned this jewel into a ruin. Crisis management was undertaken to repair leaking roofs, precarious stonework and overgrown gardens.

In 1985, the Mehrangarh Museum Trust undertook the restoration of these ruins. Architect Minakshi Jain who led the laborious restoration of Nagaur Fort, along with Kulbushan Jain and Meghal Arya, received the prestigious UNESCO award of excellence for the heritage conservation of Ahhichattragarh, the ancient fort of Nagaur.

The Nagaur Fort epitomises celebration, an integral part of royal architecture. Even today, the spaces come alive and reverberate with the slightest suggestion of a melody. Today, the World Sacred Spirit Festival held there resonates with the sounds of music and resurrected gushing water fountains in the restored Mughal gardens.

Excerpted with permission from Bapji: The King Who Would Be Man, Yogi Vaid and Aman Nath, Mapin Publishing.