At the Hindu Festival
Kerala, India 2009
African elephants are larger than Indian elephants but you wouldn’t know it by looking at this photo. I tried to get up close to shoot but the men told me to clear out. Elephants are dangerous and no one can stop one who has decided to go on a rampage.
Once my husband and I visited a Maharajah in his castle…paying guests, of course… and as a treat he promised to take us to see his treasury. The treasury was located in a room deep under the castle; we would call it a dungeon. We had to descend several flights of steep stone steps to reach the entrance. Huge doors made of thick beams and braced with iron bars were padlocked and chained to a raised stone threshold. The old Maharajah, gasping and out of breath, slowly stooped to unlock them and gestured for us to enter but he did not enter with us.
Rows of gold embroidered and jewel encrusted elephant trappings gleamed in the dim light. Glass cases with turbans decorated with precious stones…sinister weapons: curved axes, spears…old rifles, saddles, silk draped howdahs filled the room. They weren’t just valuable they were the history of the Maharajah’s family and the history of India.
Yet, I couldn’t enjoy myself. Perhaps ghosts from the past lingered in that room. I don’t know. But a niggling fear filled me. I kept a watchful eye on the Maharajah and wondered how long it would take me to race to the doorway where he stood watching us. Surely he was planning to lock us in there; why else was he standing outside the doorway holding that heavy padlock?