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No longer deserted!
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Armchair travellers can flip pages and explore Rajasthan
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Photo: Shanker Chakravarty
Capturing the real Rajasthan Author Juhi Sinha
The toast of the season surely seems to be Rajasthan. The sun-kissed dunes, the imposing palaces and the rich folk and handicraft traditions of the desert State form the core of two books released recently. “Beyond the Dunes – Journeys in
Rajasthan” from Penguin and Roli’s “Royal Rajasthan,” though markedly different in approach, are meant to be a complete package on Rajasthan, that keeps the colour, splendour and heritage of the place intact.
Juhi Sinha’s “Beyond the Dunes” is touted as the “must-have for the armchair traveller.” The book traverses the genres of a travelogue and a memoir and is an account of the author’s visits to the State over the past 15 years. A freelance journalist and television producer, work and holidays gave Sinha the opportunity to explore Rajasthan.
“When I was approached for the book, I wondered if there was a scope for it,” says Sinha. “There are already so many books on Rajasthan,” she adds. “But when I began my research I realised most of them are picture or coffee table books.”
She knew her book could fill in many gaps, in terms of the legends, people, palaces and craftsmen of the State. “Rajasthan is not merely about camels and sand dunes. I thought I could bring in a proper picture of the place. When it comes to the palaces and heritage hotels, people talk about it only in terms of luxury. But these are rooms with a history,” Sinha explains.
Film shoots took the author to the lesser known places of Rajasthan and also brought her in touch with the dying art and folk forms. The book also details the crafts not highlighted enough, be it the Bundi miniatures or the seller of stone crafts in the Jaisalmer fort. It aims to bring to the fore the diversity of the State. “From Bharatpur to Jaisalmer to Jhalawar, each of these places has a different character,” says Sinha.
Collector’s delight
If Sinha’s book captures the places and people in words, “Royal Rajasthan” does so with exquisite and rare archival pictures. Written by journalist Kishore Singh and with photos, selected and compiled by Pramod Kapoor, the tome is a collector’s delight.
An expert on his home State, Singh says the book is a “general introduction to the life and times of the people in the different parts of the State.”
Royalty is integral to the identity of Rajasthan and the book zooms in on each of the royal dynasties there. The archival and present pictures of the royal families of Udaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Jaisalmer and Jaipur form the book along with exquisite pictures of the palaces and hotels.
An outstanding feature of the book is a collection of rare aerial pictures of the palaces, forts, towns and the dessert.
“I came across some extraordinary material, most of it on forts and palaces. These were photographs taken from the air,” says Kapoor.
“These aerial pictures were taken by the French photographer Arthus Bertrand, and were lying unused. There are the extraordinary pictures of the Amber fort and of the Thar desert.
The aerial shots of Jag Niwas, Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jaisalmer fort and others are juxtaposed with sepia toned pictures that capture the royal life, festivities and ceremonies of yore.
“Some of the pictures are from the collection I have been working on for the past 10-15 years and some are from the personal collection of the royalty,” he says.
The pictures trace the history of the royalty and the State from a period ranging from late 19th Century to the present.
And the books promise to make history too!
P. ANIMA
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