लोकायत शोध संस्थान

Rajendra Bora Maharani Gayatri Devi of Jaipur, hailed as one of the most beautiful women in the world, added glamour to the Pink City when she arrived in the town in 1940 at the age of 21 as a third wife of Maharaja Man Singh, a veritable prince charming. Unlike his two earlier marriages, arranged by elders, the Maharaja himself chose his third bride. It was a love marriage between Man Singh and Gayatri Devi. And like any love marriage in traditional Indian society this high profile wedding also faced several hurdles. The first hurdle came from Gayatri Devi’s family in Cooch Behar. Even her mother, herself a great friend of the Jaipur Maharaja, was hesitant to give her daughter’s hand to a man already having two wives. However, Man Singh’s love for the beautiful princes triumphed and Cooch Behar family agreed for the wedding. The biggest challenge to the proposed marriage came from Jaipur nobles and also from the then British Government of India. Oppositon to the third marriage of the ...

राजेंद्र बोड़ा सरोद के बेताज बादशाह उस्ताद अली अकबर खान साहेब का इंतकाल शास्त्रीय संगीत के एक युग पुरुष का हमारे बीच से उठ जाना है. उनके सरोद के तारों की धुन के दीवाने हिंदुस्तान में ही नहीं पूरी दुनिया में फैले हुए हैं. उनके निधन की खबर सुन कर खान साहेब की स्मृतियों में खो जाने वालों में राजस्थान के जोधपुर शहर के संगीत के रसिक भी हैं. बहुतों को नहीं मालूम होगा कि खान साहेब का तत्कालीन मारवाड़ की राजधानी जोधपुर से गहरा रिश्ता रहा. वास्तव में इस सरोदवादक को अपनी पहली असली कामयाबी इसी मरू भूमि पर मिली. वे जोधपुर दरबार में संगीतज्ञ के रूप में नियुक्त होकर आये और इस शहर में करीब सात बरस रहे. जोधपुर दरबार में ही उन्हें उस्ताद की उपाधि मिली. ये वो ज़माना था जब राज दरबारों में संगीतकारों की प्रतिभा को बुलंदियां मिलती थीं. जोधपुर में अपने जीवन की पहली असली उपलब्धि हासिल करने के बाद सरोद के तारों के इस जादूगर ने कभी पीछे मुड कर नहीं देखा. वे संगीत में सफलताओं के एक के बाद एक बड़े शिकार चढ़ते ही गए. उस्ताद अली अकबर खान साहेब का जोधपुर प्रवास के दिलचस्प किस्से स्वर्गीय संगीतकार रामलाल माथुर सुनाया...

Rajendra Bora Jodhpur. With the passing away of Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, who became a legend in his own life time, an era of Indian classical music has ended. The land of Marwar is proud of its association with the master of Sarod, a 25-stringed instrument, who brought the Indian classical music to the international stage. Ali Akbar Khan Saheb began his professional musical career in Jodhpur serving as court musician in 1940s. People of Jodhpur have always been proud of the fact that the Ustad started his journey to great musical heights from the land of Marwar.. In fact his first true achievement came when he was appointed the court musician in the Jodhpur Royal Court. It was also in the Jodhpur Royal Court that he was bestowed upon the title of ‘Ustad’ (master musician). Veteran music connoisseurs in Jodhpur still have fond memories of Ustad who, they remember, was a jovial fellow and a good cook too. He was provided with an official car from the court in which he would go on long drive...

Rajendra Bora Jaipur. The world’s largest sculpture of a horse head, created by acclaimed sculptor Nic Fidian-Green in England, has made Rajasthan proud. The 25 ft long bronze, created for a wealthy Gloucestershire couple, is an image of Marwari horse, an indigenous breed of the sandy desert of Western Rajasthan. The equine enthusiasts who are trying to resurrect the breed from deterioration from more than a century of neglect during British rule are thrilled to receive the news of creation of the sculpulture depicting image of Marwari horse recognized by the animal’s inward turning ear tips. The sculpture, commissioned by Sir Anthony Bamford and his wife Lady Bamford, was recently erected at Wintershall Estate near Bramley in Surrey. However, Surrey is the sculpture’s temporary home while the couple is seeking permission from town planners for its permanent installation in Gloucestershire. The Marwari horse breed is believed to have been developed by crossing Arabian horses, possibly ...

Rajendra Bora British government made headquarters of its first resident of Rajputana at Rampura in 1818, in the then Tonk state, but the place just does not exist in any official record now. Rampura is a forgotten place. Even census reports or revenue records do not mention any place bearing the name of Rampura, says the recently released book “Rajputana Residency to Raj Bhawan,” the first work about Rajasthan that brings residencies and Raj Bhawans to the centre state of history. The authors of the book V.S.Singh, a senior IAS officer presently posted as secretary to the Rajasthan governor, and B.R.Dubey, an officer on special duty in the Raj Bhawan, however, succeeded in tracing the place chosen for establishing first residency in Rajputana to operate the newly established alliance between British paramountcy and Rajput states. They dug out some documents from Arabic and Persian institute in Tonk to establish that the present Aligarh, a tehsil headquarters, was the old Rampura where...

Rajendra Bora Now is the time for the state government to start homework for revitalizing various Academies. Although the Academies, like Lalit Kala Academy, Sangeet Natak Academy, Sahitya Academy and others, are autonomous institutions, they derive sustenance and effectiveness from the support of the government. Therefore, much depend on how those in power perceive these institutions. The rich heritage of Rajasthan in all forms of arts –both performing and non-performing- need state supported autonomous institutions not only for preservation but for grooming of local talents and promotion of arts. One of the failings of these academies has been that they have not only lacked desired financial support of the government but also lacked public support in their working. We have seen in the past that their headships had been distributed like charity. Unworthy heads of such institutions cannot bring any revolution. If we look at the past five years’ scenario in the state and the way affairs...

Rajendra Bora Jaipur. The teachers and students in private Bed collages are braving grueling summer to complete their academic session 2009-10 with others. The State Government has instructed all the private Bed collages where admissions were delayed due to late counseling to do away with summer vacations and get their academic session regularized. The counseling process for Bed courses was completed as late as in February this year. However, The National Council of Teachers Education (NCTE), a statutory body formed by an act of Parliament, mandates that annual examinations could be held only after completion of 180 days of teaching. Therefore, to regularize the 2009-10 session it is prudent to hold classes dispensing with summer vacations, official sources say. All the concerned authorities have been instructed that in the collages where admissions were delayed and their academic calendar schedule of completing the course by June was not possible regular classes should be conducted in...