Eagles of Mehrangarh: Guardians of Marwar
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EAGLES OF MEHRANGARH:
Guardians of Marwar
A mysterious ritual is practised at Mehrangarh Fort to this day. A ritual that has been written and spoken about, but to witness it firsthand is a very rare possibility. Among the many tourists who visit the Mehrangarh Fort and its museum, which spans seven periods and six galleries, only the privileged few gain access to this one-of-a-kind ritual, held in the fort since it was built in 1459.
Every day, around 3:30 in the afternoon, Latif Bhai, a young, slender-looking man, is spotted walking to one of the bastions of the fort with a bag in his hand. He never fails to greet the visitors who are touring the fort. While on his way to the bastion, he tells them to come to him the moment he gives them a signal. He also indicates that silence has to be maintained. He then quickly climbs up the stairs to the bastion.
On the rooftop, he reaches into his bag and takes out a piece of goat meat. Holding the meat skywards, all of a sudden, what was till then a cloudless, sunny Jodhpur sky fills with a convocation of Eagles bolting from all across the sky. Latif keeps throwing the pieces of meat up, and these regal birds pick them from mid-air. Legends say that the eagles would not pick the meat if it fell to the ground. Once the eagles arrive, he signals and calls all the awe-struck visitors to him, finally revealing the age-old tradition. Latif goes on to empty the bag of meat in the air to feed the eagles, in front of his spellbound audience. Latif’s family has served the Maharaja for generations, and this ritual has been passed down through the generations.
Eagles and Mehrangarh have a connection that dates back to the time when Rao Jodha built the fort in 1459 AD. Eagles were believed to be closely associated with Karni Mata, who was worshipped as an incarnation of Goddess Durga and was also the Kuldevi of the royal family of Jodhpur. Around the year 1453, when Rao Jodha had been planning to regain his lost kingdom, Karni Mata appeared to him in his dream as an eagle. She blessed him with success and also told him the strategy needed to regain his lost kingdom. Ever since then, eagles have held a prominent place in Marwar culture. Not only are they worshipped by the Royal family of Jodhpur, but they also feature on the flag of the Ranbanka Rathores, in their coat of arms, and in the emblem of the magnificent fort. Centuries later, the tradition continues: these magnificent birds of prey still fly above the ramparts of the Mehrangarh Fort, and the ritual of feeding them goes on without fail.
