Posted on: 12 May 2010

Crowds in the courtyard in front of the entrance gateway to the old Rajwada Palace, Kolhapur - 1880.

Photograph of the entrance gateway to the Rajwada Palace,Kolhapur from the Lee-Warner Collection: 'Bombay Presidency' taken by an unknown photographer in the 1880s. Situated on the banks of the river Panchaganga, Kolhapur had been ruled by the Yadava dynasty between the 10th and 13th centuries, it later came under Mughal rule. In 1675 the town was conquered by the Maratha chief, Shivaji, and later inherited by his younger son. The state remained with the Bhonsales (one of the Maratha princely families) until Indian independence. This view shows private apartments surrounding the courtyard of the Rajwada or Old Palace and in the background, the chattra of Rajaram College. The Old Palace was where the royal family lived until independence.

Source : British Library


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Nice snap! It revives d history! The use of simple white clothes was common in those day.

Only a few rooms of Kolhapur palace are open to visitors. We arrived the day before 2009 constituency elections, and a Chhatrapati descendant was a contender, so we had subsidised lunch from the canteen. The exhibit inside is not well cared for, but they have a splendid Durbar Hall. Among the exhibit an interesting one is the silver spade with which Shahu Maharaj turned up soil to inaugurate the Kolhapur Railways. Among exhibited books I located one by Manohar Malgonkar, "Chhatrapatis of Kolhapur."

Re: simple white clothes - that was out of necessity. Ironically, Ashutosh Gowarikar had commented on it in the book 'The spirit of Lagaan' written by Sanjay Bhatkal*. Apparently, while researching their film Bhanu Athaiya realized that if they set the film in a particular time period, they would have to show everyone wearing the same sort of white clothes since colored dyes (and clothing) were not easily accessible to the masses. I haven't researched into this theory, but it makes eminent sense. * either in that book or during an interview. I cannot recall.

Coloured Sarees and turbans did exist...cultural expectations /norms was a factor. Two decades ago, wearing red T-shirts was unthinkable to Bengali gentlemen.