Flying Proud and High
by Anuradha Shankar
Flying high over the Jaigarh Fort, the colourful flag provides a welcome contrast to the brown, which dominates the landscape.
This is the flag of the erstwhile royal family of Jaipur, and flying atop the fort named after one of its greatest ancestors, it signifies the importance of the royal family, which lingers on in spite of the fact that they no longer rule the city.
While the flag drew attention thanks to its colourful nature, it was something else, which intrigued me – the presence of a smaller flag bearing the same colours above it.
Flags are always interesting, for they always say something about the country or group they represent. And so does this one. There isn’t just one, but two stories, which tell us more about not just the flag, but the people whom it represented.
The Kachwahas were a Rajput clan who ruled over a number of princely states in western India, especially present day Rajasthan. The largest and oldest among these kingdoms was the state of Amber (pronounced Aamer), which later came to be known as Jaipur. The original flag of the Kachwahas was the ‘Jhadshahi’, or tree marked flag, which bore the figure of a Kachnar tree (Bauhinia Variegata) on a white background.
As the Kachwaha clan grew bolder and greater, they annexed neighbouring kingdoms and came to be known as a force to be reckoned with. When Raja Man Singh, in 1585, defeated five major Afghan tribes, the flag of Amber was changed to include the five colours of the five tribes. The simple green creeper on a white background gave way to five bands of colours – Red, Yellow, White, Green and Blue. The new flag was called the ‘Pachranga’ – the flag with five colours.
And so it remained for the next century and a half. In 1699, Raja Jai Singh II came to power at the death of his father. He was then just a 11 year old boy, but he came to be known as one of the most enlightened rulers of 18th century India. In addition to performing his duties as a warrior king, Raja Jai Singh also managed to find time to pursue his many interests, chief among which were mathematics and astronomy. He was regarded as a reputed astronomer, and he is most remembered for building the astronomical observatories known as ‘Jantar Mantars’. Above all, he was a farsighted ruler, who planned and built the beautiful city of Jaipur, which bears his name.
At the time Jai Singh came to power, the Mughal ruler at the helm of the Indian Empire was Aurangzeb. The young king so impressed the Emperor that he was awarded the title ‘Sawai’. The word literally means ‘one and a quarter’, and the title meant that the king was a quarter above everyone else. Raja Jai Singh was the first to be awarded this title, and his descendents were allowed to use the same. It was then that the flag of the Kachwahas gained the additional flag – a quarter the size of the original flag, showing the same pattern and colours, it flew above the flag, proclaiming that it was the flag of the Sawai Maharajas – a quarter greater!!
If You Go:
♦ Jaipur, the capital of the state of Rajasthan in India, is known as the Pink City. The name comes from the rose coloured buildings of the old city, which was planned and built during the reign of Sawai Jai Singh II in the 18th century. Today, the city has grown well beyond the walls of the old city, but the city still thrives as the hub of the handicraft industry in India, ranging from gems and jewellery to textiles and carvings.
♦ Jaipur is well connected to all parts of India by road, rail and air. The nearest major city is New Delhi, which is just 225 km away.
♦ There is no dearth of accommodation in Jaipur. From Five Star hotels and resorts to budget hotels and lodges, the city has it all.
♦ The best way to explore the old city of Jaipur is on foot. However, if you feel tired, you can always be sure of finding an auto or cycle rickshaw to give your feet some rest. The Rajasthan
Tourism conducts daily tours around the city. There is a tourist bus available for whole day sightseeing, and cars for hire.
♦ The must see places in the old city are the Observatory, known as Jantar Mantar, the Hawa Mahal, and the city palace. A little away from the city is the Amber Fort, the original seat of the royal family, and the Jaigarh Fort, built at a later date to augment the protection to Amber.
About the author:
Anuradha is a home maker and budding travel writer, She lives in India and loves to travel with her family. Taking every opportunity to explore known and unknown destinations, she writes about her travels on her blog, A Wandering Mind. Her greatest desire is to visit every corner of her beautiful country.
All photographs are by Anuradha Shankar.
1. Flag flying above the Jaigarh Fort
2. Entrance of the Amber Fort
3. The Amber Fort and Jaigarh Forts lit up at night with the colours of the Royal flag
4. The Amber Fort
My friends and I arrived in Sapa at 6am. We gathered our luggage, hoping to catch the morning market. Our friend, May, was waiting for us at the train station. He would be the tour guide for our trip. May is a teacher from Ha Noi, the capital of Vietnam. He had moved to Sapa to teach the children here seven years ago. He was among many other city dwellers who came to Sapa to volunteer and then fell in love with this little town. We would take a cab to Ta Phin village where we would live with a family of the locals for three days.
At about noon, the fog subsided. We took a walk around the village. At a playground near where we stayed, there was a swing that was at least 4 times taller that the swings I normally see. You are not supposed to sit on the swing. You have to stand on a small piece of bamboo on the swing and let it swing for at least half a circle back and forth. It must have been at least 10 metres.We had to stand on two long bamboo trees and walk as if the bamboo trees were our feet. Of course we all fell. None took more than two steps successfully. Yet all the children there could do it, they did it very well, swinging in the air every round!
In Sapa, people have no Internet connection and no telephones at home. Their only social meetng place is at the morning market. Once a week, people come down to the valley from different mountains, bringing along their best products and hoping to exchange for something they lack. People walk instead of driving cars or riding motorcycles. They hardly travel out of the vicinity of their homes except for important occasions. The morning markets have become such precious opportunities for people to meet that it has been known more popularly as the “love market”. Local girls and guys in this central meet-up take the opportunity to express their affection for each other. Girls and guys are shy to show too much intimacy in public, so they express their love through songs. It is said that the water drank from the mountain sweetens the voice of local girls. Through their voice, you will feel the tears, the joys, the tenderness and the passion these lovers give to each other.
On the second day, May took us to a Sapa restaurant. In this restaurant, all customers sat on the floor and gathered around a long bamboo table. Eight of us were served a large hot pot called “Thang Co”. The pot was so large that it looked like a mini bath tub to me. It smelled like Chinese medicine and we were told that this pot was made from one whole big horse, not excluding any part at all. The recipe of this horse steam boat is said to be very good for men. It was served with a vase of wine. It looked exactly like a large vase and was as tall as me sitting up. It had holes for us to put in the straws. We were supposed to use the straws and drink right from the vase/ bottle of wine. The alcohol was very strong and had a mild taste of rice.
The scenery in Sapa is beautiful. Trees stand side by side with a background of mountains and hills. A river flows in the middle of the village. The water is so pure that we could see rocks of different shapes at its bottom. Once in a while, we pass by a stretchy paddy field. These green mini trees are always swinging as if they are following the dancing tune of the flow of wind in the air.
After dinner, we visited a coffee house. The house was made of wood. It was small and looked beautiful among the vastness of natural scenery. People from Sapa are exceptionally friendly. The owner of the coffee house offered to sit with us. Together we sang songs and shared stories of our life. He even asked his son to walk to his neighbour and borrow a guitar for us. After a while, a group of eight became a group of twenty, singing and having fun together. The house become so small for the friendliness that some even stood outside the window and sang along.
After travelling for about two hours from Thiruvananthapuram, we reached the tip of India. It is a crowded little place with shops and hawkers selling shells of various shapes and sands of different colours. A small boat ride from the mainland took us to the famous Vivekananda rock, where the great philosopher had meditated. There are a lot books about his teachings which can be purchased. Next to this, stands the massive statue of Thiruvalluvar, the Tamil philosopher and poet also known as Valluvar, which has been constructed on another rock. These two are in fact the main tourist destinations in Kanyakumari. On the way to these rocks we saw many rocks protruding out of the sea. It could possibly have been a part of the mainland many ages ago.
Another interesting attraction at Kanyakumari is the three different colours of the three bodies of water that you can see at one particular location. Shortage of time forced us to leave the same night back to Thiruvananthapuram and miss the next day’s beautiful sunrise. I would definitely like to come back to Kanyakumari some time soon and witness both the visual treats.
‘But my guidebook says…’ I began.
‘So are you telling me there’s no human rights issue with the Padaung women?’
‘She’s used to it.’
