Rhythms of Rajasthan village enthral Charles

TOLESHAR CHARNAN (JODHPUR): This dusty village on the outskirts of Jodhpur, nearly 40 kilometres from the city, had an unusual visitor on Tuesday when Prince Charles arrived here for a glimpse of the village lifestyle and the unique water harvesting methods prevelant in the region.
The prince, who arrived in Jodhpur for a day's visit, was briefed on the restoration of water bodies using the traditional water harvesting technologies an initiative of the Jal Bhagirathi Foundation, which receives funds from the British Asian Trust.
He spent half an hour at Khandia lake, which is the only source of water for Toleshar Charnan and five surrounding villages. Following a brief on the work done at the lake and a traditional welcome, he walked down towards a group of dancers performing "ghair" a folk dance which marks the celebrations of a good harvest season during the Holi season. On Tuesday, the dance was performed in honour of the British prince, who himself did not hesitate to be a part of it.
Matching his footsteps to the beats of traditional chungs', the Prince of Wales looked every much at ease, performing the ghair' along with a group of local people. Holding a small, embroidered umbrella in his right hand, he swung into action, dancing in circles revolving and rotating simultaneously just like the group of ghair performers, as the media and everybody else present at the lake side in the village looked in awe. He was certainly not unfamiliar to the folk dance of the desert state. Dressed in a formal grey suit, stripped tie and dark glasses, neither did he look least uncomfortable dancing with the dancers dressed in white traditional dresses and bright coloured turbans.
While his wife Camilla was elsewhere visiting a school for girls, also an initiative of the same foundation, Prince Charles was at the lakeside in this village. He also witnessed the local traditions of the village which included Dev Jhulni Gyras' the ritual bath of the Ladoo Gopal' at the lake, the Samudra Hillion' where in the married women of the village thank their brothers for getting them married in a village which has a lake full of water and the Dhani' or Shagun Vichaar' a traditional custom followed in pre monsoon days to predict the year's rainfall. He was also shown how the used water is recycled, by percolating through a stony surface.
Prince Charles was accompanied by the erstwhile ruler of Jodhpur, Gaj Singh, and managing trustee of the foundation Prithvi Singh along with a group of volunteers and his personal staff. While Gaj Singh applauded the effort of the villagers, who had gathered neat the lake, Charles in his speech said he was pleased to visit, though briefly, the village and also pleased to be a witness to the development of better water facilities based on traditional methods. "Will keep you all in my heart and thoughts while returning to England later tonight. Bless you,'' he said, ending his speech.