Polo cup - battle royal at Rambagh

Today Sunday was busy like any other working day. In the morning I attended an engagement function. From there I went to a lunch that was a part of another wedding celebrations.

Maharani Padmini

In the afternoon I went to see the polo finals at the Rajasthan Polo Club. I met Savitri Kunadi, the ex-ambassador of India to France. She was also serving as the chairman of the executive committee of the Rajasthan Foundation and I knew her since those days.

At the polo finals there was a regal gathering that included His Highness, the Kunwars, Princess, members from the royal families and others from various former estates and gharanas of Rajasthan.

Kunwar Narendra

The final match was a see-saw battle between Cavalry Carysil and Rajasthan Polo Club's team Equisports. Cavalry Carysil won a thrilling final to lift the Sirmur Cup 2011 beating Equisports by 8.5 goals to 6 in a match at the Rambagh ground. At one time Equisports was trailing by 4 goals to none before staging a comeback to narrow the score to one-and-half goals and then further reducing the deficit by half a goal.

Kunwar Narendra, Yashodhara
Raje Scindia

A Shergill strike put them on the lead for the first time in the match. Just when it seemed that they would romp home with the Cup, Cavalry struck back in style to pocket the trophy comfortably. Suhag was adjudged the most valuable player.

After the final match and the prize distribution, there was a high tea where I met Maharani Padmini (picture), Kunwar Narendra (picture), Princess Diya Kumari, Yashodhara Raje Scindia (picture) and others. I also met Martin Peters and Sunil Sood (picture), the world circle head and director of Vodafone respectively.

Sunil Sood, Martin Peters 
of Vodafone

In the evening, I went to the Jawahar Kala Kendra to witness the Jaipur International Film Festival (JIFF 2011) red carpet award ceremony. It was a low-key affair. Rajasthan hardly has any local film industry may be that is the reason. In fact none of those expected, from Madhur Bhandarkar to Asha Parekh, turned up as was announced by the organisers.
The government of Rajasthan had started a film-training institute that has closed down as of now.
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