On how to manage a harem.

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Flag of India Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
Sunday, June 14, 2009

Remember how your history teacher in high school tried to motivate the class? History repeats itself, so the story goes, and although the circumstances we are living under are different, we can always learn from the great lessons of history by analogy. Great! Only problem that it's somehow hard to relate lessons like "Don’t invade Russia in the winter" to your daily life. Maharaja Man Singh I, on the other hand, provides insights into a topic that some readers may find more applicable and worthwhile.

Maharaja Man Singh I ruled over Rajasthan in the 16th century. He built the amazing Fort Amber just outside of Jaipur which we visited on our first weekend in Rajasthan. The Maharaja designed the fort not only to protect the rich trading town from foreign invasions but also to prevent “civil war” as our guide Ali informed us - Man Singh had a harem of 12 wives

main gate

. The picture shows that in the center of the fort was an open place space which was linked to 12 rooms. Each room was individualized (some had pools; one had a ramp through which they carted the harem’s heavyweight) and had a secrete passage to a gallery overlooking the rooms. Man Singh could thus walk through the gallery, contemplating which wife to “visit” and then enter her room without the other ones’ notice. A second innovative idea was the use of the central square where he lined up his harem in the afternoon. The Maharaja then sat on his shady balcony and could look at his favorite ones without the not-so-favorites feeling neglected.

A word or two about being a tourist in India. As in any other place, people try to make money from you… can’t blame them. I’d do the same if I earned $25 per month. They try to give you tours, charge you for pictures, and sell you ANYthing. Example: On the way up to the fort we were riding an elephant (clich� - but I loved it). This boy wanted to sell me this multi-colored turban. I told him that it’s a good quality turban and that 200 rupees (after starting at 900) is a reasonable price, but even if he gave it to me for free and I wouldn’t take it. The problem is they think it’s part of a clever bargaining strategy. It doesn’t feel right, but the only way to get by is to ignore these people. This being said, I’m constantly amazed by the friendliness of Indians and the goodwill they show towards you. Frequently we are approached by people who ask to take a picture with us or just want to chat. “Thank you for coming to my country” is one of the sentences you often hear. Some of the guys in the picture even performed a little welcome dance for me. These are the moments when you realize that at the end of the day, travelling is not about sightseeing but about encountering people. And these are the moments when I start to understand why so many people fall for India.

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