Polo & More 2014
The dedicated and focused Rao Raja Hanut ensured
that Jaipur always had a string of beautiful horses,
immaculately groomed and marvellously trained. Hanut was
a brilliant tactician and probably had strategized most of his
matches to guarantee triumph even before they were played.
He lived and breathed polo and was one of polo’s most
colourful characters and one of the finest exponents of the
sport that India has produced. He had an unmatched polo
career spanning over half a century and played off a handicap
of +9 for a staggering three decades.
Jaipur’s success was not just limited to the field.
Maharaja Sawai Man Singh had by then married his third wife,
the stunning Princess Ayesha of Cooch Behar better known
as Maharani Gayatri Devi. She was considered to be one of
the most beautiful women in the world at the time, and the
combination of her on his arm and the polo team in tow, made
them quite a sensation in British high society. Those were
possibly the most glamorous years for polo but, unfortunately,
they were not to last – 1939 was to be a watershed for the
sport, the world over. The Second World War had broken out
and once again, the Indian princely states, and both the
British– Indian and British Armies were serving on
Polo & More 2014
various battlefields around the world. For polo, it was arguably
a harder blow than the First World War had been because the
sport was given short shrift during the war effort. By the time
the war ended and the Indian forces started to return home,
India was preparing for Independence from the British Raj.
The Fourth Chukker: Independence from the British Raj
Post War India saw tumultuous times with independence
from Britain in 1947 and the subsequent formation of a
Republic in 1950. India’s Monarchic days were at an end,
and with it too the largesse of Indian Princes & Kings. The
hereditary monarchy was abolished, and whilst titles were still
acknowledged and the descendents of monarchs still given
their due respect, they lacked any official recognition or
authority and power. In this period the Indian Army,
particularly the mounted Cavalries were responsible for the
survival and ultimate resurgence of the game.
The old princely grounds in Calcutta, Jaipur and Jodhpur
are still regularly played on, these days polo is widely played
throughout India, up to the 20 goal level. With over 34 clubs
in existence today from New Delhi in the North to Bangalore
in the South, and Mumbai and Jodhpur in the West to Manipur
in the East n
ABOVE: Shamsheer Ali from Hyderabad tapping while Yuvraj Shivraj Singh of Jodhpur is trying to ‘hook’ him. Shamsheer Ali has arguably
some of the finest ball control in the country
TOP LEFT: The World Polo Championships,1957. From left to right, Captain Kishan Singh, Bijey Singh, HH Hanut Singh and
HH Maharaja of Jaipur
TOP RIGHT: Calcutta Polo Club
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