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Africans in a royal procession in Kutch painted in 1876

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WHAT REMAINS OF the Aina Mahal Palace in Bhuj (Kutch, Gujarat) after the powerful earthquake of 2001 is now open to the public as a fascinating museum. One of its many remarkable exhibits is a painting, which is 15 metres long and 22 cm wide. Painted in 1876 by Mr Juma Ibrahin Wadha, it depicts in minute detail a Kutch State parade during the reign of Maharao Pragmalji II, who was on the throne between 1860 and 1875.

The faces in the painting are all portraits of individuals – actual depictions, not stylised images. The degree of detailing is superb – almost photographic, yet still artistic.

Amongst the many faces that can be seen on the painting are several which have unmistakably black African features. They are all soldiers dressed in armour and guarding the Maharani, the Maharao’s queen. It is possible that they might have been eunuchs, but detailed as the picture is, this cannot be ascertained by examining it!

Black Africans travelled to India (mostly as slaves) from East Africa to Gujarat and Kutch during the 14th to 17th centuries. Mainly of Bantu descent, many of them converted to Islam. Some of them rose to high positions in society. For example, one of them became a general, who founded the Sidi Saiyedd mosque in Ahmedabad. Their descendants are known as members of the Siddi community. Known as Sheedhi in Pakistan, there is apparently a significant number of them in Lowe Sindh and Karachi. Currently, there are about 50000 Siddis in India, of which about one third live not in Gujarat but in Karnataka.

There are many other interesting details on the picture of the parade, but it was the depictions of Siddi soldiers that particularly caught my attention.

Art, Alembic, and brewing in Baroda

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THE SINGER LATA MANGESHKAR (1929-2022) has only ever appeared in one advertising film. It was for a medical product, a cough syrup, called Glycolin. This stuff was manufactured by the Alembic pharmaceutical company of Baroda, founded in 1907. In 1960, it was the first company to manufacture penicillin in India. Under the leadership of the Amin family, Alembic produces a wide variety of pharmaceutical products.

The company owns a huge ‘campus’ in north Baroda. This has been named Alembic City. Part of it, which contains repurposed former factory buildings, has been developed to create an art hub, which has been named Alembic Art District.

Alembic Art District

The Art District contains a museum that illustrates the history of the Alembic company. Other buildings house artists’ studios. These are given free of charge to selected artists who have applied for them. There is also gallery space.

A food court has been created. Nearby, there is a good Japanese restaurant (called Bento B). Next door to this is The Brewery.

Those who are familiar with Gujarat will know it is a teetotal state – sale and consumption of alcohol is forbidden. So, what is with The brewery? Well, it is a brewery, but alcohol is not brewed here. It is a kombucha Brewery. We sat in the stylish restaurant within The Brewery, and enjoyed the best kombucha I have ever tasted.

Like the Tate Modern and the Battersea Power Station, both repurposed former industrial sites, Alembic Art District contains remnants of its former existence. However, the resulting environment that has been created is much more delightful than the two places in London mentioned above.

A slow journey in the west of India

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OUR JOURNEY FROM Bhuj to Baroda (Vadodara), both in Gujarat, began yesterday at 650 am and ended at our hotel just after 8 pm. The distance we travelled was about 265 miles. There are direct trains between Bhuj and Baroda, but these were fully booked on the day we wanted to travel (i.e., 30th November 2023).

The first ‘leg’ of our journey was on a train that carried us from Bhuj to Sabarmati Junction – one of Ahmedabad’s several railway stations. The other passengers in our compartment were 4 young girls and a couple of young men returning to university after their Diwali break. We noted that the girls talked to each other. So, did the boys. But the girls and boys did not converse with each other and showed no interest in each other. The train rattled at high speed through the flat countryside and arrived at Sabarmati only about 8 minutes late. Unlike many Indian trains I have been on, the Bhuj to Sabarmati Superfast had no vendors wandering up and down the train.

It is a few miles between Sabarmati Junction and Ahmedabad’s centrally located main station. We hired an autorickshaw to take us between Sabarmati Jn and the Moti Mahal restaurant near the main station. Our driver tore through the heavy traffic narrowly missing numerous collisions. The eatery proved to be a scruffy but extremely popular place – noisy and lively. We enjoyed a good light lunch before walking to the station.

Although it was only about 200 yards between the restaurant and the station, it was necessary to cross an incredibly busy road with fast moving vehicles. We asked an autorickshaw driver if he would drive us there. He refused, but kindly offered to help us across the road, which resembled a disorderly road race. Using his arms like a traffic policeman he shepherded us across the thoroughfare. Even with his help it was a hair-raising experience.

We had to wait for our next train for about two hours on platform 6. The train we were about to catch was the Porbandar Shalimar Superfast. This train leaves Porbandar in Saurashtra (part of Gujarat) at 850 am on day 1 and arrives at Shalimar (a station in Calcutta) at 3.35 am on day 3 – having travelled a distance of 2544 km. Our journey on this train lasted just under two hours, arriving in Baroda about 20 minutes late.

She sells mats to passengers in the train

Unlike the train from Bhuj, the train to Shalimar was well populated by vendors. The seemingly endless procession of sales people were offering: bottled water; hot tea; snacks including biryani and bhel poori; bags of apples; and mobile phone chargers and cables. One lady in a colourful sari was selling attractive square mats at 10 Rupees each. Every now and then, a deformed invalid literally scuttled along the filthy floor of the corridor. He stopped at each compartment and banged his collecting pot ominously on the ground. Only a few passengers gave him coins.

The sun had set when our train pulled out of Ahmedabad. Through the open window, I saw many small villages, many of them with Hindu temples adorned with coloured lights – many of them flashing decorously. I could also see many brightly lit shops. Within the train, I had an excellent view of the door to one toilet. Even when it was closed it vibrated furiously as the train sped along. Many passengers peered inside the loo, but few dared to enter it.

The train seemed to travel even faster than the one from Bhuj, and it was a relief to disembark in Baroda’s lovely station. After another autorickshaw drive, we arrived at our comfortable hotel. Our reception there was a little reminiscent of an episode from “Fawlty Towers”. Once this was, over, things went smoothly and we enjoyed a good dinner in its dining room.

A wonderful little bookshop in Baroda

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A FEW MINUTES WALK from our hotel in BARODA (Gujarat) brings you to Patel Bookstore. The owner of this small bookshop stocks ‘pre-loved’ (not ‘secondhand’) books. Some of them are arranged on surfaces under the verandah in front of his shop and on its counter. The rest of them are on shelves and on the floor of the part of his store behind the counter. The shop has a chaotic appearance, but I am sure Mr Patel knows what he has in stock.

Mr Patel, a friendly gentleman, has a huge stock of books in English – much fiction and slightly less nonfiction. He also sells books printed in Gujarati.

The owner of the shop is happy to buy back books you have bought from him. When you make a purchase, he writes the price you paid in the book, and how much he would be prepared to buy it back when you have read it. He is also happy to buy other volumes that you wish to dispose of.

Even though I could not see many books that appealed to me, I love visiting idiosyncratic bookstores like that run by Mr Patel.

A beneficient ruler of a kingdom now part of Gujarat

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THE AINA MAHAL (‘Palace of Mirrors) in Bhuj (Kutch, Gujarat) was constructed in about 1750, and badly damaged during the terrible earthquake of 2001. Luckily, some of the palace survived, and several rooms containing an intriguing variety of objects can be visited by the public. Above these, there is another floor, which is not accessible to the public. A prominent member of the royal family of Kutch, with whom we have become friendly, kindly showed us around these rooms, which include the old Durbar Hall where the ruler, the Maharao, used to hold audiences. After 1868, when a new palace, the gothic revival style Pragmahal, was built, the rulers of Kutch used its larger durbar.

The old durbar Hall in the Aina Mahal contains fine painted portraits of some of the previous Maharaos. One of these depicts Maharao Desarji II, who ruled from 1819 to 1860. Amongst his many achievements he encouraged the study of mathematics, geography, and astronomy. He developed schools and hospitals. And he also put an end to slave trading in Kutch. In addition, he put an end to the practice of sati (‘self’-immolation of widows during their husbands’ cremations).

His son Pragmalji II, who ruled from 1860 to 1875, not only had the Pragmahal place built but also encouraged education. It was during his reign that the Alfred School was built. It was named in honour of Queen Victoria’s son Prince Alfred, who visited India in 1869/70.

My wife’ great great grandfather, Laxmidas Ravji Sapat, was the 11th headmaster of the Alfred High School between 1888 and 1892. This was during the reign of Maharao Khengarji III, who ruled Kutch from 1876 to 1942. He loved wildlife and took an interest in education. Amongst the many things he did was establishing the Museum of Kutch and the Jubilee Hospital – both in Bhuj. He also helped Laxmidas Ravji Sapat.

After being headmaster of the Alfred School, Laxmidas and his son-in-law went to London to study law, Mr Thacker, at Middle Temple. Going to London to study was expensive. As both Laxmidas and his son-in-law, Mr Thacker (my wife’s great grandfather) were bright, their community, the Kutchi Bhatias, clubbed together to help finance the education of these two promising men. Additional money was donated by the Maharao (Khengarji III), who, as already mentioned, was keen on promoting education.

I am grateful that we were privileged to have been shown around a part of the Aina Mahal not open to the public. Apart from seeing something new and having a member of the royal family to explain things, we managed to see portraits of his ancestors, each of which was accompanied by labels that summarised their achievements.

Red coloured meat dish from Rajasthan

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LAL MAS IS a traditional meat dish that originated in Rajasthan. Its name means ‘red meat’ and its colour comes from the use of mild, fragrant, fresh red chillies. The best sort to use are those grown at Mathania in Rajasthan, but if these are not available, Kashmiri chillies can be used but they are less satisfactory. Originally, lal mas used to be prepared to feed hunters after a day of hunting. The meat being game.

We have been staying at the Sharad Baug Palace homestay in Bhuj (Kutch, Gujarat), which is owned and run by members of the Royal family of Kutch. Several members of the family are great cooks. The food they have been preparing for our evening meals has been superbly tasty.

Last night, one of the family gave us a very special treat. While we watched, he prepared lal mas on a pot heated on a wood fired brazier in the garden. The smoke from the burning wood enhances the flavour of the dish.

Even if I knew the exact recipe for lal mas, it would be pointless giving it to you. This is because to achieve a good result, the person cooking it must be constantly tasting the sauce and adding ingredients as required, as well as checking the degree of tenderness of the meat. This is something that cannot be described in writing.

That said, this is, roughly speaking, how he prepared the lal mas. First, good quality cold-pressed mustard oil was heated to a high temperature. Then, he added whole spices including the Mathania chillies. Next, chopped onions, followed by pureed onions and pureed Mathania chillies. Following this, the goat meat was added. Later, chopped tomatoes followed by ginger and fresh green chillies – both minced. After a while at various stages, other ingredients including ground cumin, turmeric, coriander powder, fenugreek leaves (added at the end), hot red chilli powder, salt, and water were added to the stew. Throughout the cooking process, which took almost two hours, the stew has to be stirred often, and water added as required so as to maintain the sauce’s thick consistency and to prevent the spice mixture from burning.

I can say, without exaggeration, that the resulting dish was one of, if not, the very best Indian meat dishes I have ever eaten. It was fragrant, tasty, and not too piquant. It was without fault.

We are very grateful that our host took the time and care to produce this miracle of culinary art for us.

Piles of stones and prayers by those seeking to build a home

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THE PUARESHWAR MAHADEV Shiv temple is about 24 miles west of Bhuj. Built about 1200 years ago, it is possibly the oldest surviving Hindu temple in the Kutch region of Gujarat. Partially restored, this attractive small mandir is still in use but has lost most of its roof.

At Puareshwar

As we approached the temple, I noticed that near it, there were numerous small piles of stones. Each of the precarious looking piles consisted of several rock’s or fragments of masonry piled carefully, one on top of another. I asked our driver, who had suggested we visit this temple on our way to Narayan Sarovar, about these small piles. He said that they were constructed by people, praying to obtain or build a home of their own.

After visiting, Narayan Sarovar, its lake and mandir, we stopped to see the mandir at Koteshwar, which is on a spit of land near India’s border with Pakistan. Outside this temple, there were many piles of stones just like we had seen at Puareshwar.

Although I have visited many Hindu temples in India during 30 years of travelling to the country, it was only yesterday, the 27th of November 2023, that I first became aware of these small stone offerings. According to one online article I found (https://medium.com/six-word-photo-story-challenge/prayer-stone-stacks-a-belief-b7fc0edc5d9a), stones are piled outside temples all over India by people hoping to build their own homes. I will now look out for them whenever I visit a mandir.

Painting behind glass in the Palace of Mirrors

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PARTLY DAMAGED BY the great earthquake that struck Kutch (Kachchh) in 2001, what remains of the Aina Mahal in Bhuj contains a fascinating museum. Constructed in about 1750 for Rao Lakhpatji, ruler of Kutch, the palace is named because of the many mirrors (‘aina’) contained within it. Miraculously many of these fragile items survived the earthquake. The same is true for a set of reverse glass paintings.

A reverse glass painting

First developed in Europe, it was introduced to China by an Italian artist Giuseppe Castiglione (1688-1766). During the 18th and 19th centuries, Kutch traders brought them back from China as gifts for the rulers of Kutch. The traders commissioned them from Chinese artists, having first explained what subject matter was to be depicted. Later, glass painting became popular in both Kutch and Saurashtra, where it began to be done.

The technique of reverse glass painting is difficult. Paint is applied to the side of the glass away from the viewer. The artist must begin by painting what will be at the front of the picture. For example, if painting a portrait, the eyebrows, eyelashes, moustache, hair, and beard must be painted first. Then, the rest of the face needs to be created, and then the background. Adding to this difficulty is that the artist is painting on glass as thin as paper.

The reverse glass paintings and the ageing mirrors are but a few of the amazing exhibits on display in the Aina Mahal. We have visited the place several times, each time noticing things we had not seen before.

Feeding the faithful at a Hindu temple in Kutch (Gujarat)

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THE DHRABUDI TRMPLE complex is near the sea about 5 miles east of the town of Mandvi (Kutch, Gujarat). It is located ated next a small Freshwater lake, where pilgrims can bathe. Our driver told us that baby boys are brought to be blessed at the temple when they reach their first birth anniversary. When we visited, we saw a group of people doing a puja in the open air. They were respecting the first death anniversary of one of their relatives.

While wandering around the temple compound, we saw a group of Rabari women seated in the shade, under a large banyan tree. The Rabari are nomadic cattle and camel herders, as well as shepherds. In India, they aremost frequently found in Gujarat, Punjab, and Rajasthan.

Worshippers come from far and wide to do pujas at the mandir. The temple offers free meals to pilgrims. These are served in a large dining hall. One wall of this is lined with numerous portraits of people who have died. We were told that diners pick up a thali and other eating utensils before lining up to be served food.

Pit containing glowing charcoal for cooking

The kitchen, which is next door to the dining hall is vast. It was spotlessly clean. I saw a few gas rings, but what really fascinated me was the other method by which food is heated up. I saw three or four pits sunk into the floor. Each one is shaped like a large spoon. Glowing charcoal is heaped in the bowl of the ‘spoon’, and can ve spread along the stem. Pots are placed above the charcoal. The arrangement reminded me of the Turkish ocakbaşı. I imagine that the cooking speed can be adjusted by varying the amounts of glowing charcoal beneath each of the enormous cooking pots.

We did not stay to join the pilgrims having lunch. Although the temple cooks kindly invited us, we had lunch awaiting us at my wife’s cousin’s home.

I always enjoy visiting place of worship. What made Dhrabudi special for me was being shown its wonderful kitchen.

LOOKING FOR A HEADMASTER IN BHUJ: FURTHER EXPLORATION OF FAMILY HISTORY

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AT THE END OF January 2023, I wrote:


“My wife’s mother’s great grandfather was one Laxmidas Ravji Sapat (aka Sampat), who was born in the mid-19th century, or a bit earlier. Along with Gokaldas Parekh, Laxmidas was one of the first teachers in the Alfred High School in Bhuj (founded by Rao of Cutch, Pragmalji II in 1870). It is likely that he was its headmaster for a time. I have yet to see it, but his portrait hangs in the school. One of my wife’s relatives, also a descendant of Laxmidas, arranged to have it restored a few years ago.
In 1890, Laxmidas left the school. Later, along with his son-in-law, Cullyanji Murarji Thacker, he went to London (UK) to become a barrister. He studied for the Bar at Middle Temple and was called to the Bar on the 27th of June 1900, along with his son-in-law, Mr Thacker, who was my wife’s mother’s grandfather.” (https://adam-yamey-writes.com/2023/02/02/running-in-the-family/)

Laxmidas Ravji Sapat

Today, the 25th of November 2023, we visited the Alfred School in Bhuj in search of the portrait of Laxmidas Ravji Sapat. We were shown a board on which the headmasters of the school were listed. On it we discovered that Laxmidas had been headmaster between 1888 and 1892. He was the school’s eleventh headmaster. It appears that he left the school two years later than I had been told.

As for the portrait of Laxmidas, the officials at the school had no knowledge. They suggested we try the museum next door. Part of this now owns the school’s original building, which was restored after the 2001 earthquake that destroyed much of Bhuj. Despite being part of the museum, the old school building stands disused and being renovated.

At the Bhuj Museum, we asked about the portrait. We were told that it is not in the museum. So where is it? In a few days time we will return to the school to visit its current headmaster. Maybe, he might know where it is. Until then, watch this space!