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Constructive passions: Among all the man-made wonders of Rajasthan, our guests expect the least from Kumbhalgarh fort. Boy, this fort is not visible from even a mile away from its location.
And to expect that this will be having formidable 36 miles long walls that are so wide that 8 horses can comfortably walk astride is like asking for moon.
Plus a series of temples and a hilltop palace with most indigenous air-conditioning system are enough to make my guests bewildered by this fort that encompasses many hills in dense jungles.
Must have taken years to be this immense, but creativity or passion-what was behind it?
Strategy spiced with creative brilliance and heroic passion is the inspiration.
When prince Jagat Singh was not permitted by his Maharana father to play with his friends in Jagmandir (Royal pleasure pavilion), insulted he went on to create an even more beautiful masterpiece over the Lake Pichhola in Udaipur.
Little did he know that this passionate revolt will be responsible for creation of one of world's most opulent palaces that will put Udaipur on Global tourism map one day!
Strange reasons behind beautiful creations do not end with the Lake Palace only. Jodhpur's Umaid Bhawan Palace was born as a result of a massive employment generation initiative for famine-affected people.
Unrivalled creativity!
The passions of Bharatpur's Raja Surajmal Jat are legendary.
He had the guts to attack the Mughals and had even brought back a marble building in booty!
Few know about his creative excellence in constructing outstanding water palaces in Deeg- thousands of fountains in the gardens created in a theme so that he may not miss the pleasure of monsoons any single day.
But as a keen duck-shooter, his creation of an artificial protected sanctuary in most scientific manners to ensure regular supply of ducks is he most credited for.
This superbly created and maintained marshland is today one of the world's best bird sanctuaries.
Building masterpieces
Jaipur's fame as a masterpiece in town planning is solely contributed by its founder Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II who planned it to every square foot of space!
Traditional and modern thoughts on Astronomy, Vastu Shastra (architecture), Shilp Shastra (Sculpture), geography, climate and culture were all applied here in a beautiful combination- a rare case of wisdom coexisting with passion!
The decision to paint the town pink in one go in later years to welcome a British Prince was also probably just another attempt of asserting creative abilities.
It will be wholly wrong to say that this creative brilliance was restricted to the experiments of Maharajas only.
Rich merchants of Shekhawati region got every surface of their mansions frescoed with wide ranging depictions such as Wright brothers or Jesus Christ or Lord Krishna driving a car! Clearly Rajasthanis can be inspired from anywhere but their creations are indigenous. Not only for their personal pleasures, this extended to their community contributions as well.
The two merchant brothers for the construction of Delwara temples in Abu offered the sculptors solid gold equal to the weight of marble powder they chiseled out everyday while carving!
Not surprising then, the fine carvings in these temples have made the marble almost translucent!
The unknown creators
Also, it is not that such pieces of Human creativity are restricted to some must-see places only.
A castle or a bastion can be seen in even a non-descript town or a village.
And Cenotaphs can be found just around anywhere even in villages or even somewhere in the middle of nowhere.
They are in memory of an important person- King, Sadhu, Priest, bull, horse or even snake! The signs of human conquest can be seen all over in Rajasthan.
Hardly any stretch of land, water body or hill is seen that does not have a castle or a bastion or a temple or a cenotaph.
This has not stopped with changing times either as it is evident from modern buildings of Jaipur like the famed Rajmandir theatre or Birla Science center or its shopping malls that have the same regal taste and a touch of class!
But then the truth is still the DESERT that always challenges the men to create something that is not lifeless.
A classic case of creativity
Each time we visit Bikaner we never miss visiting the Badal Mahal (Cloud Palace) in Junagarh Fort.
It is a chamber with clouds painted all over.
The guide tells that this chamber was made to acclimatize the young princes to the sight of clouds so that they may not get scared when they actually see such rare ones in their desert kingdom!
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