What was the Delhi Durbar 1903? (2 Viewers)

[Ana Donzino]

Guys,

It's summer here, and the seaside town where I live is crazy during January. So is my house, with all the friends and family that want to enjoy the beach. This is how it looks from my studio any summer date:



I'll be back with the Retainers Review soon. It's a promise

Ana

 

[Ana Donzino]

Hello guys,

Again, here are the two posts that got lost.

9 - Jhalawar​

1 Elephant with Standard
12 Caparisoned horses
28 Musicians
60 Irregular infantry
14 Mace and flag-bearers and grenadiers
1 State elephant with 22 attendants
16 Guards and attendants
1 Elephant with State Emblem
25 Irregular horse

I also posted a couple of comments about the few pictures I had from both these states (Jhalawar and Shahpura). From Jhalawar, I only have pictures of the state elephant at the Main Procession. It was surely there during the Retainers Review

 

[Ana Donzino]

10 - Shahpura ​

2 Elephants with Standard and drum
15 Footmen
2 Horsemen with flag and drum
2 Led horses
22 Armed irregular horse
23 Footmen carrying State emblems



This sketch made by Inglis Sheldon-Williams is surely of one of the Armed irregular horsemen

Nest state, Benares

Ana

 

[Ana Donzino]

Hi again

V - United Provinces States
1 - Benares ​

51 Horsemen
30 Musicians
103 Infantry
76 Irregular footmen armed with maces, carbines, grenades and guns
10 Irregular horsemen
9 Camelry Armed
6 Elephants

Here are some comments made by journalists and writers about this state:

Civil & Military Gazette 13/01:
13 Elephants, sumptuously attired


Madras Times 09/01:
The splendid elephants from Benares had huge gold and silver howdahs, and reminded one of the glory of the state entry.

Pioneer Mail 16/01 / The Coronation Durbar:
...and the Maharaja of Benares alone had fifteen which one could not fail to remark.

A Motley Army:
The Maharajah of Benares sent an extraordinary and variegated throng of followers; his elephants and howdahs were unusually imposing.

Wheeler:
Next to appear were the retainers of the Maharaja of Benares and the Raja of Tehri. The former sent a quite exceptional contribution, both in the number of elephants and in the richness of their howdas.


As you can see, they don't agree on the number of elephants. They definitely were more than 6.


Again, not many pictures of this state The State Elephant, the Maharaja, an old photo with some elephants and a sketch.


Benares State elephant





A group of elephants from Benares in 1870. If they are indeed from this state, they probably were at the Retainers Review. The elephant in the middle might be confirming that they are all from Benares; it's howda is the one that Lord Curzon used at the Main Procession . And if you remember, it was Benares who lent him the elephant.


The maharaja of Benares at the station


A sketch made by Sheldon-Williams. It doesn't seem to be the state elephant, it's probably one of the mentioned in the program.


Next State should be Tehri. But the program says that this state only had '50 footmen'. It doesn't mention the state elephant, which must have been there. Surely another mistake.


Next state, Loharu

Ana

 

[Ana Donzino]

VI - Punjab States

1 - Loharu ​

15 footmen with guns, maces and spears
1 Bullock “Rath”

Unfortunately I don't have absolutely anything from this state. And as its elephant (if the state had any) was not at the Main Procession, I have nothing to show

2 - Maler Kotla ​

30 Footmen with maces, guns and spears
8 Horses
1 State carriage

Again, no pictures from the Retainers Review. But at least they had a very beautiful state elephant, so here are a couple of photos of it at the Main Procession. Curiously, there are no elephants mentioned in the program but it was surely there.






Ana

 

[Ana Donzino]

3 - Faridkot ​

8 Footmen with maces and spears
1 Camel carriage
1 State carriage
13 Mounted bodyguards
2 Elephants

Fortunately, the Faridkot State Carriage was very admired because it was pulled by camels. So many photos of it. Here, 2 pictures of the same: the carriage at the Amphitheatre and entering it.






And lastly, among the two elephants mentioned in the program, one surely was the State elephant. Here are a couple of pictures of it at the Main Procession








Beau Geste sets BG343, BG344 and BG345: The Faridkot group


Next state, Nabha

Ana

 

[Ana Donzino]

Finally a state with a lot of photos

4 - Nabha ​

25 Mounted body guards with flag and drum


The Flagbearer and the Drummer at the Amphitheatre


Beau Geste sets BG418 and BG419, Nabha Mounted Flag and Drums

 

[Ana Donzino]

Nabha continues


Beau Geste set BG420, the Nabha Horsemen


Raven Hill's drawing of the Nabha Horsemen


Beau Geste BG421 and BG422, the Nabha Mounted Musicians


Nabha Retainers waiting their turn for the Amphitheatre

 

[Ana Donzino]

More Nabha

5 Caparisoned horses




2 Palkis

27 Footmen with maces, spears and umbrellas

1 Elephant with State flag



Beau Geste sets BG405, BG406, BG407 & BG408, the Nabha Group

6 Elephants with howdahs

1 State carriage

Hawks and dogs


Next State, Jind

Ana

 

[Ana Donzino]

5 - Jind ​

4 Horsemen with banner and drums
5 Musicians
28 Footmen with maces, spears and emblems
2 Palkis
5 Led horses
6 Elephants
1 State Silver carriage
21 Mounted body guard
6 Akhalis (soldier devotees)


The footmen with spears and emblems, outside the Amphitheatre. Check the elephants at the back! Five of the six elephants are there, including the elephant below




One of the (6) Jind elephants, waiting outside the Amphitheatre. The elephant clothes are similar to the state one, but the howda is a different one.


Beau Geste set BG293, the Jind elephant


The State Silver Carriage

 

[Ana Donzino]

The akhali


Menpes plate of one devotee


Raven Hill's beautiful drawing of one akhali


Beau Geste set BG184, the Akhalis from Jind (retired)

Next, Patiala

Ana

 

[wadepat]

5 - Jind ​

4 Horsemen with banner and drums
5 Musicians
28 Footmen with maces, spears and emblems
2 Palkis
5 Led horses
6 Elephants
1 State Silver carriage
21 Mounted body guard
6 Akhalis (soldier devotees)

View attachment 208916
The footmen with spears and emblems, outside the Amphitheatre. Check the elephants at the back! Five of the six elephants are there, including the elephant below



View attachment 208917
One of the (6) Jind elephants, waiting outside the Amphitheatre. The elephant clothes are similar to the state one, but the howda is a different one.

View attachment 208918
Beau Geste set BG293, the Jind elephant

View attachment 208919
The State Silver Carriage

Hi Ana,

That State Silver Carriage is awesome! Do you think the carriage might make it into the Beau Geste inventory at a future date? It would make a terrific and special addition to anybody's Durbar collection!

Warmest personal regards,

Pat

 

[thebritfarmer]

I agree with Pat !!! I also like the dog & hawk handlers too.

 

[Ana Donzino]

I'll definitely make both, guys. Dog and hawk handlers first, I really love them. Silver carriage takes a LOT of thinking about sculpting, molding, casting and assembly matters. I need to figure out a couple of things before making it, but it's definitely on the list. It's beautiful!

Ana

 

[Ana Donzino]

6 - Patiala ​

2 Elephants with State Standards and drums
1 Elephant with sacred book of Sikhs
5 Musicians
48 Footmen with maces, spears and guns
8 Cresset and torch-bearers
4 Palkis
6 Footmen with maces and emblems
8 Caparisoned horses
2 Horses with Chief’s carpet and mirror
8 Mounted mace-bearers
6 Musicians
1 Silver carriage
2 Horn blowers
25 Body guard
1 State carriage
5 Elephants


The State Standards and Drums waiting outside the Amphitheatre for their turn to get in


Beau Geste sets BG397 (standards) and BG398 (drums)


Both elephants at the Retainers Review


Beau Geste set 218A, the Patiala akalis on pony

 

[Ana Donzino]

Akali from Patiala on foot


Beau Geste set BG88 (retired), the akalis from Patiala


Silver Carriage

 

[Ana Donzino]

This is the Patiala elephant at the Main Procession. It was surely among the 5 elephants mentioned in the Program. I LOVE this photo, and I wanted to show it to you for a few reasons. This is one of the last scans that I bought from the British Library.
First of all, the point of view is different from the usual one. The picture is taken half way between the Red Fort and the Jumma Masjid, on Khas road, and from ground level.
Beside Patiala, the elephant of the Raja of Sehr & Mokalla. Behind them both, Sikkim and Bahawalpur. At the distance, Nabha, followed by Jind and Kapurthala. All so neat.
Left of the photo, and far away, the Retainer Review's elephants are waiting for their turn on the side of Elgin Road, in front of the Red Fort.
Above all the detail, there is a group of soldiers, foreground, that I had never noticed before: a group of buglers from the same regiment of the lining troops. SO lovely. When I went to my old photos again, they are there, and I never noticed them.


Cool


Again a similar spot than the photo above. In this one, you can see a bunch of guys with rifles behind the elephant, that couldn't be seen in any of the other Patiala photographs that I have. These should be in my making list. Also, someone in the crowd is holding a kind of banner across the street. Lastly, there's a Mounted British officer in front of both elephants. I must check within my notes to see who he is. I know I have that somewhere


Beau Geste sets BG 87, the elephant of Patiala (retired), BG265, the Patiala escort guards, and set BG321, musicians and horn blowers. The Patiala group.


The Patiala group waiting for their turn outside the Amphitheatre

Next (and last) Kashmir

Ana

 

[Ana Donzino]

Lastly...

VII - Kashmir​

36 Musicians
68 Footmen with guns, maces and spears
25 Armed horsemen
8 Caparisoned horses
35 Horsemen from Gilgit and Yasin
8 Elephants


The Musicians. The horsemen at the back are the ones from Gilgit and Yasin


The two Giants from Kashmir


Beau Geste set BG91, the two Giants from Kashmir with Gertrude Bell (retired)


Beau Geste set BG216, Kashmir infantry (retired)


Beau Geste set BG216, Kashmir military band (retired)

 

[Ana Donzino]

Armed horsemen


This photo shows one of the Kashmir giants with the Gilgit and Yasin horsemen, walking at his side





Elephants

 

[Ana Donzino]

Although they weren't mentioned in the program (as many others), these guys were definitely in the Kashmir contingent. All the newspapers and books mention them, for their colored clothes and masks, their dance and music








Beau Geste set BG159, the Ladhaki Devil Dancers (retired)


Beau Geste set BG160, the Ladhaki Musician Monks

That's all about the Retainers Review program. I'll come with something new soon

Ana