Photographs from an overnight camel trek we took in the desert south of Jaisalmer ... and some memories.
... The bouncy, wavy forward lope of the camels, their heads and upper necks seeming to search side to side, curious, maybe always locating themselves, but also like queens on parade.
Through herds of sheep and goats, up onto the sand dune ridge for the night. Our guides set up our charpoys (rope cots) along the ridge, prepare a tasty thali with the most minimal of brush fires and utensils, then serve it with such bush-elegance.
Sun set, then full moon arcing ever so lazily across the night sky. Betty watches it all night. A slow cool dawn. Dune crests slowly emerge, golden waves along the blue sky. Fresh chai is brought to us in our charpoys!
A dawn walk along the dunes ... wild peacocks, a female with her brood, antelope, song birds.
In these parts you often see paintings of a man and women riding a camel - Dhola and Maru their names are, famous lovers of Rajasthan. (See the story below.)
The camel, we were told yesterday by a painter of miniatures, an impish wise man with deep smile creases radiating from his eyes and along his cheeks, is associated in this area with love and long life. "It's because of the camel's long face that always seems to smile," he said, as much with his mouth as with his dancing fingers and hands."It's always smiling and singing. And when walking, just like a dancing girl. Camel makes you smile. Isn't it true? You watch.”
The story is told in various versions. Here is one.
The king Pingal decided to have his child-daughter Maru married to Dhola, the son of Nal, the king of Narwar and his good friend. So Dhola and Maru got married at childhood. Before they attained adulthood, however, Nal died, and his son Dhola, forgetting his marriage vows with the child Maru, got married again to a woman called Malwani.
Now Maru kept longing for Dhola. Her father sent many messages to Dhola, but Dhola’s wife Malwani intercepted the messages and had the messengers arrested or killed.
Finally Maru reached Dhola through a troupe of folk singers. Dhola, on learning about his first wifem, started off for her home. Malwani, meanwhile, sent word to Dhola that she had died and he ought to hurry back. Knowing Malwani’s cunning, Dhola carried on. On his way he met Umar Sumar – leader of a band of robbers and a man who wanted Maru for himself – who told Dhola that Maru had married someone else. Dhola refused to believe him, arrived at Maru’s home Poogal to a tumultuous welcome and Dhola and Maru were united at last. However ….
On the way back to Dhola’s home, Narwar, Maru was stung by a desert snake and died. Overwhelmed with grief, Dhola decide to become the first male sati in Rajput history by ascending the funeral pyre of his wife. He was saved by a yogi and yogini who said that they could bring Maru back to life. They played their musical instruments, and just like that, Maru did come back to life. But this remarkable story doesn’t end here ….
Umar Sumar the robber, still infatuated with Maru, invited the couple to spend an evening with himself and his band of thieves. Fortunately the couple were warned just in time of Sumar’s evil intentions, again by a troupe of folk singers. The couple jumped onto their camel and made off home to live happily ever after.
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| Comparing real and look like real pierced earrings |
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