Palace of Clouds

by Rajyashree Kumari Bikaner

  I walked down to the local grocery store where a large but very orderly queue had formed, people seemed relaxed and were listening to their car radio and sitting out in the street, and I decided to do the same. Eventually, it was time to try and get some sleep despite not knowing when and if the power would restart. I wedged a chair against the door to stop it from closing: one needed the ventilation as the rooms were hot. Comfort at that time outweighed caution. For some reason, despite the anxiety and heat I seemed to have slept well and got up at 5 AM. It was getting light as I was taking the chair away from the door. I suddenly saw the lights in the building opposite to mine come on. I must admit it was without doubt one of the most comforting sights I have seen in my entire life. I turned on the TV and although there was no reception the voice of the commentator was clear. It seemed that there was a major power problem that had tripped the circuits in almost three states besides New York. The New Yorkers however, had taken it in their stride with good humour and all cooperated as segment by segment the power was restored to the city. Mayor Rudy Guilliani ensured that within a span of twenty four hours the city was back to normal. There was no untoward incident and everything went back to normal as soon as possible. That evening the theatres were open again.

  If I was to name one particular visit that stood out prominently then I would have to say that it was the Christmas on the Nile tour with the British Museum group. Egypt is an absolutely mesmerising country, and I am convinced that perhaps in some past life I must have been an Egyptian. I loved the country and the people there assumed that I was an Egyptian and spoke to me in Arabic. They refused to believe that I was an Indian. ‘Are you sure?’ they kept asking me which was terribly amusing. The monuments and temples built by the ancient Pharaohs were unbelievable- every day we visited something different and though it is impossible to conceive until one is actually standing there it was more spectacular than the last. The sound and light show at Luxor temple was breathtaking and then a friend and I took a horse carriage back to the hotel. The Egyptian people are friendly and drivers and guides are very happy to wait while one attends a sound and light show or certain parts of the museum where they are not allowed.

  I had an absolutely amazing time and one I will always cherish. A funny incident happened at the Pyramids in Giza. We were allowed to go into one of the pyramids, and proceed single file. I did not realise that I was claustrophobic but at that point of time in that dark and narrow passage I had a panic attack and doubled back out into the sunshine. There were two elderly sisters in the group with us: they must have been well into their eighties but were extremely energetic although they had opted out of going in to the pyramid too. I stood and chatted to them when a policeman on a camel came by; he gave me the thumbs up and said that he was ready to marry me if I was willing to be his third wife. ‘I am very strong,’ he assured me. I was at a loss for words for the first time in my life. Recovering quickly from this unexpected proposal, I thanked him profusely and declined his kind offer!

  Buying dogs for myself did not even enter my mind. However, one day I decided that now that I was settled in India I was going to get a couple of dogs. I am convinced that my brother somewhere up in heaven subtly put the idea into my head. I thought long and hard about the breed I would choose: I had poodles and cocker spaniels and even a little Yorkshire terrier in the past. Finally I saw an advertisement for a cell phone company which at the time went under the brand name of ‘Hutch’. They featured a series of very sweet and amusing commercials with pugs. It reminded me of my childhood when my aunt Dev Kanwar had her group of pugs who were collectively known as ‘fum fums’. It would definitely be a pug, I decided. I was keen to have one fawn and one black one as a contrast and the best person to contact as far as dogs were concerned, would be my cousin Maharana Mahipendra Singh of Danta, as he was closely associated with the Kennel Club of India and was a respected judge. I asked him to find me a couple of puppies. My sister, when I told her of my decision, quizzed me with a barrage of questions: what breed of dog are you going to get? Who will look after them and what will happen to them when you go to London? When I told her that I was thinking of buying a couple of pugs, ‘Pugs?’ she shouted down the telephone. ‘They are so ugly!’ However, once the puppies arrived she soon fell in love with them as I did. They are now thoroughly spoilt and much loved members of the family and discovering the wonders of pug hood, she too went and bought herself a delightful male pug called Mao.

  There was little or no demand for black pugs in India then. They all wanted the fawn variety just the same as the Hutch commercials. Finally, my cousin located a breeder in Ahmedabad who then sent me a little fawn puppy; it was love at first sight. She was tiny and I could fit her on the palm of my hand, I called her Chiara after a guide who I had toured with on my recent visit to Florence. Since the breeder was unable to locate a black pug he sent me Chiara’s litter mate who was duly christened Siena since that was a city I had recently visited while in Italy.

  Pugs are utterly charming and weave a magical spell over their owners; they both came at a time in my life when I was still struggling emotionally to get back to normal after the problems in my life post my divorce. I am eternally grateful to them; they immediately became my responsibility and prevented me from thinking only of myself and feeling sorry for myself. They were full of energy and love and changed the atmosphere in my house completely. One of them also managed to trip me up one day when I was taking them for a walk and injured my arm which then resulted in a painful frozen shoulder which took months to heel, but I could not possibly blame them for their exuberance.

  In an interview with the late actor Robin Williams, he was once asked in what he considered was key to life and his answer was that it was family and friends and a good pet, ‘For pure loyalty’ he said, ‘there is nothing like a pug.’ I can heartily endorse his view. Pugs are easy- going by nature, and although they are not the brightest in the dog world, their charm and affection make up for their lack of obedience and intelligence, they are truly pugnacious. The fashion designer Valentino is devoted to his five pugs, all of whom accompany him on his travels around the world and also on his beautiful yacht when he is away on holiday. The Duke of Windsor described a pug as being utterly ‘beguiling’ and both he and the Duchess were devoted to their many pug pets. They are delightful little companions and there is nothing more comforting than a pug sleeping soundly, snoring gently all the while.

  When travelling to Bikaner we are pretty much like a travelling circus- the car is packed to the rafters with staff, luggage and three pugs. On one such journey from Jaipur to Bikaner, we were getting close to the township of Ratangarh, a small city named after my ancestor Maharaja Ratan Singh when suddenly the car came to an abrupt halt. It seemed that the fan belt had snapped, and while Govind Singh and my valet Manohar were busy peering suspiciously at the engine I took Chiara and Siena on their leash and tried to find some shade where we could wait while they assessed the situation. It was early September and very hot that day and the pugs are very sensitive to heat, even though I found a bit of shade to stand under and shielded them with an umbrella they both started to pant and were clearly distressed.

  I had read in a book that if a pug overheats is can die. I was helpless to relieve their plight. Meanwhile, on a busy highway several cars passed us with locals who gazed at this surreal scene in astonishment-here was this luxury sedan completely out of commission and a very strange looking lady standing in the shade of a small tree holding an umbrella and two extremely hot and tired little dogs. Finally, after a few minutes someone kindly stopped their car and asked if they could help in any way. We asked them if they could kindly take us to Ratangarh while we phoned home to get them to send a car to rescue us.

  I am convinced that it was the plight of the poor little pugs that did the trick. The passengers all got out and very kindly made room for me, Govind Singh and the pugs, and they said they would take the bus when it came along. I was immensely touch
ed with their kindness and consideration. We reached Ratangarh in a few minutes and they took us to the nearest guest house while Govind Singh phoned the Bikaner office and they said they were sending a car to collect us right away. That said Ratangarh is a good two hours journey Bikaner and they were unlikely to reach us soon. The guest house owner was also very kind and considerate and immediately offered us a room, which of course did not have any air conditioner but just a ceiling fan. By now Chiara and Siena were prostrated on the ground panting frantically, and nothing it seemed could alleviate their distress in the terrible heat. I panicked thinking that they were going to die and there was not much that I could do about it.

  Fortunately Govind Singh had the presence of mind to ask if someone could find us a taxi that could take us to Bikaner and hopefully meet our car on the way. An Innova SUV soon drove up and we all hurriedly got in but not before thanking the hotel owner profusely for kindly giving us shelter, water for the pugs and even several rotis to tempt them but of course they refused to eat. We fortunately met our car soon after and once we got in, we kept the air conditioner on full blast and finally after almost fifteen minutes, the pugs started to normalise. It was both an amusing and at the same time distressing situation that I recall to this day.

  For any reader who is devoted to pugs as I am, I would highly recommend Gemma Correll’s charming books on pugs with delightful illustrations. They are titled, ‘A pug’s guide to etiquette’ and ‘A pug’s guide to dating’: they are both amusing and informative and sum up the breed perfectly.

  Recently I came across a rhyme by Debbie Thomas about pugs on the internet:

  Pug Rules

  The pug is not allowed into the house.

  ay, the pug is allowed into the house but only in certain rooms.

  The pug is allowed in all rooms, but has to stay off the furniture.

  The pug is allowed on old furniture.

  Fine, the pug is allowed on all the furniture but is not allowed to sleep with humans on the bed.

  All right, the pug is allowed on the bed, but only by invitation.

  The pug can sleep on the bed whenever he wants but not under the covers.

  The pug can sleep under the covers every night.

  Humans must ask permission to sleep under the covers with the pug!

  In all cases of dispute the pug rules!

  Debbie Thomas.

  Every word of the rhyme is absolutely true!

  To conclude this paen to pugs: even Winstom Churchill was not immune to their charms. , when his daughter’s pug Punch fell ill he even wrote a little peom to the little chap,

  Oh, what is the matter with poor Puggy-wug

  Pet him and kiss him and give him a hug.

  Run and fetch him a suitable drug,

  Wrap him up tenderly all in a rug,

  That is the way to cure Puggy-wug.

  The pugs I think were successful in stirring an interest and compassion in me for animals. I decided to join the animal rights organisation, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). It was a foray into the complex world of animals on a scale that I could never have imagined. I was under the misguided impression that I had some basic understanding about the welfare of animals in general and the protection of endangered species in particular. After all, when I was living in London I actively donated towards many animal and bird related organisations such as the Wildlife Fund for Nature and the Royal Society for the protection of Birds and many others. I could not have been more wrong—in fact, I was not aware in the least bit about the way humans in general treat animals for their own ends and means, or how incredibly cruel the farming and meat and wool industries really are.

  I had absolutely no idea for instance that a cow needed to be impregnated in order to keep up the constant milk supply that we pick up in bottles and cartons the world over from the super market without giving a single thought to the sinister industry that lies behind it. Once the cows give birth, their calves are not permitted to suckle from their mothers, this it seems interferes with the production of the farmer’s milk yield. The calves, if female are slightly more fortunate in that they are most probably spared the slaughterhouse or at least for a while. The male calves fare far worse, since they have little use to the farmer—they are either dispatched straight away to the slaughter house or else kept in pens to fatten them up so that they can then go on for veal production. This practise is also followed with the so called ‘free range’ farms too. Either way their lot is not a happy or pleasant one. All the images of healthy cows grazing in Britain’s green meadows vaporise in an instant when confronted with the ugly reality of life. The animal lobbies urge us not to drink milk as it is an exploitation of the animals. This is easier said than done, as milk is the basis of so many by-products such as butter and cheese that the world simply cannot do without.

  The plight of male calves in India is no better. We Indians are supposed to have veneration for cows in our society, but if looked at clinically, virtually all male calves are abandoned at birth to fend for themselves. I used to wonder why there were so many stray bulls and bullocks wandering about the streets. Well, they are not wanted it’s as simple as that. , because most cow owners perhaps are Hindus it goes against their principles to slaughter them instead they simply abandon them. The irony is not lost on me, that here we are in India a country that is so obsessed with male children and sons and as yet the poor male calf is rejected at birth and has to fend for itself. It is heart breaking to see the bulls eating at garbage dumps munching on plastic bags. Once in a while it is of course heartening to see large camps that are set up for stray cows and bulls where they receive shelter, fodder and water. Much as I would like to help these poor unfortunate creatures I cannot help the millions of stray cattle in our midst alone. What I do is to keep a large utensil full of fresh water outside my house in Bikaner where the stray cattle and dogs are at least able to quench their thirst.

  My brother reared chickens though they were not for commercial purposes, I was therefore woefully ignorant of the fact the chicks as soon as they are born are sexed and the females get a reprieve and are kept for purposes of future breeding the males are promptly discarded as so much trash. I have seen horrible images of fluffy chicks being thrown in trash cans or worse still, thrown into a machine that minces them up.

  The life of a chicken is not a happy one. At least in Bikaner I am able to do my own small bit towards some form of compassion for the chickens that are meant for the food chain. After lengthy correspondence with the Collector in Bikaner—she was enlightened enough to give orders to meat shops on the Bikaner Jaipur Highway to locate the chickens in their wire pens in the shade instead of spending the few precious hours they had of life before making it to someone’s dining table in the blazing sun. I also campaigned hard and am pleased to report successfully to persuade meat shops to stop tying live goats outside their shops. It may be a small drop in the ocean but I am satisfied that something was done to alleviate their immediate misery. I have also in the past made strenuous efforts to have the Bikaner zoo closed down or at least to stop them from keeping large animals in small Victorian cages. As children we loved going to the zoo most evenings, little realising how incredibly cruel it was to keep a large and majestic beast such as the Indian tiger in a small cage built in Victorian times which was clearly not suitable for it. Eventually, the zoo chooses to retain the smaller animals and the tiger and other large animals were relocated to larger zoos elsewhere.

  Being a member of PETA was an eye opener. I have for quite some time now, refused to buy fur, ivory and exotic skins for handbags and shoes. I strongly feel that if each of us can do our own small bit to make the lives of animals and birds slightly better it will have been more than worthwhile. There is so much cruelty in this world especially towards our own human species, I imagine that the welfare of animals and other creatures is of little or no consequence. However, I firmly believe that each creature from the largest to the smallest was put
on earth by God for a purpose and fulfil a certain role and to exterminate them will lead to an imbalance in the eco system which will one day directly and adversely impact on us human beings.

  As a case in point when my father was a member of the Lok Sabha he took up cudgels on behalf of the lowly little bull frog. It seems that India was happily exporting vast quantities of bull frogs to France and other countries where frog’s legs are considered a delicacy. The sudden drop of the bull frog population caused an increase in the number of insects it preyed upon increased exponentially, and they in turn, caused great damage to the grain that was being stored. The fact that these poor creatures had their legs scythed off while still alive and conscious in the most brutal way was beside the point: their absence was having a direct and adverse bearing on the food chain to us. I believe that has now been stopped and so mercifully the import of thousands of rhesus monkeys for cruel and painful experiments in hospitals and laboratories across the world. Many kind friends have adopted beagle puppies meant for laboratories in India- they have large, kind and compassionate hearts. I cannot save the all the animals, birds and living creatures in the world quite obviously but I can, like many enlightened and like- minded individuals do our own little bit, and also to aid and help actively and through donations many extremely worthy animal organisations both in India and across the globe.

  Certain guests who come and stay with us at the Lallgarh Palace Hotel sometimes complain about the wildlife trophies and skins that line some of the corridors and state rooms. I can completely understand why they may find them offensive but we try and explain in the politest possible terms to them that hunting was a pastime decades ago, the heads and skins on the walls represent a time when it was perfectly acceptable to hunt and that they should not try and judge them by the standards of today. Millions of tourists visit the Coliseum in Rome every day, eating ice cream and wandering about this old building taking photographs and selfies: I wonder how many of them realise that it was actually a place of great brutality in the past centuries when gladiators fought each other and other wild animals. The Coliseum was built by the Emperor Vespasian for the purpose of entertainment for the citizens of Rome. The citizens relished hand to hand combats to the death or to see innocent people mostly Christains being torn apart by tigers and lions. That was the entertainment of that time. It is best not to judge the past too harshly.