We've all seen how they lived and ruled in the several sprawling palace museums and forts dotted in Jaipur and its environs.
At Gaitore ki Chhatriyan - literally memorials to the departed - in the foothills below the beautiful Nahargarh fort, you can witness how they repose in the afterlife.
The royals of the ruling Kachhwaha dynasty of Jaipur are commemorated in lavish marble chhatris, lovingly carved in detail with scenes of courtly life - musicians, courtesans, dancing girls, elephant fights and hunting scenes.
It must be remembered there are no bodies buried here. The royals were cremated according to Hindu rites on huge funeral pyres made of fragrant sandalwood and dripping in even more fragrant ghee. The surviving wives often committed 'sati' - a ritual suicide - and burned alive with the dead royal.
The first cenotaph dates to 1733 and all the kings, except one, and several princes till recent times were cremated here.
Look for the exceedingly beautiful friezes on the ceilings and platforms, arched corridors, and graceful symmetrical domes on multi-tiered platforms, surrounded by expansive lawns and old trees.
No comments:
Post a Comment