The game that came home to the Rajputs
A Rajput prince learned to ride before he learned to read. When war on horseback ended, the princes needed something to do with their horses, their courage and their rivalries. Polo gave them all three, and for half a century the teams of Jaipur and Jodhpur were among the finest in the world.
An old game: versions of polo were played in Persia and Central Asia centuries ago, and in Manipur in north-east India, where it is called sagol kangjei.
- Ancient roots
- Persia and Central Asia; Manipur's sagol kangjei
- First British club
- Silchar, Assam, 1859
- Oldest club still playing
- Calcutta Polo Club, 1862
- Rajasthan's great teams
- Jaipur and Jodhpur
- Still played by
- The 61st Cavalry and the old families
- How the British found it: tea planters and officers saw the game in Manipur and founded a club at Silchar in 1859. The Calcutta Polo Club followed in 1862 and is still playing.
- Why the princes took to it: it rewarded horsemanship, nerve and team spirit, the old virtues of Rajput cavalry, in a world where the cavalry charge was over.
- The great rivalry: Jodhpur led first, under Sir Pratap Singh in the late nineteenth century. Jaipur rose in the 1930s under Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II, and the two families played each other for generations.
- What polo still means: in Jaipur and Jodhpur a match is a social event as much as a sport, where the old families, army officers and visiting players meet in the winter sun.
- The cavalry link: the 61st Cavalry, raised in 1953 from the horsed units of the old state forces, is the only horse-mounted cavalry regiment in the Indian Army, and it has a long polo tradition.
- Women in the saddle: polo is no longer only a men's game, and women players now compete in Indian tournaments, including on the grounds of Rajasthan.
- More to read: our journal tells the story of polo in Jaipur, and our page on the Rajput dynasties explains the families behind the teams.
Jaipur, the polo capital of India
The man: Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II, who ruled Jaipur from 1922, was one of the great players of his age, rated at the game's highest handicap of ten goals.
The summer of 1933: his Jaipur team toured England and swept the six major tournaments of the season, scoring more than a hundred goals. Punch marked it with a cartoon of an elephant charging.
- Where
- Rajasthan Polo Club, beside Rambagh Palace
- Season
- Winter; fixtures confirmed each year
- The legend
- Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II, a 10-goal player
- 1933
- Jaipur won six major British tournaments
- Getting there
- A few minutes from most Jaipur hotels
- The ground: he built a vast polo ground next to his residence, Rambagh Palace, and the Rajasthan Polo Club still plays there each winter.
- How it ended: he died in England in 1970 after a fall while playing polo at Cirencester, and Jaipur families still speak of it quietly.
- Who plays now: army teams, the 61st Cavalry, Indian and visiting professionals and players from the old Rajput families, in tournaments named for the maharajas who loved the game.
- The feel of a match: winter sun, a band, families on the lawns, old men in tweed and young women in saris, tea and samosas between chukkas.
- Pair it with: a morning in the City Palace, where polo trophies and portraits of the players are part of the family's story.
- Read the city: our Jaipur guide and our page on the Jaipur polo season have the wider picture.
Jodhpur, Sir Pratap and the breeches
Sir Pratap Singh: a son of the Jodhpur royal house, regent and polo-mad cavalry soldier, he made Jodhpur one of the strongest polo states of the late nineteenth century.
The breeches: the close-fitting riding breeches he favoured went with him to the polo grounds of England, and the style took the name of his city. Riders still call them jodhpurs.
- The pioneer
- Sir Pratap Singh, regent and soldier
- His legacy
- Jodhpur breeches
- Modern season
- December, in recent years
- Ground
- Maharaja Gaj Singh Sports Foundation Polo Ground
- Revived
- In the 1990s, under the royal family's patronage
- The players: Jodhpur produced some of India's greatest players in the early twentieth century, and the names of its teams still hang in the trophy rooms of Mehrangarh and Umaid Bhawan.
- The revival: after a long gap, polo was revived in Jodhpur in the 1990s under the patronage of Maharaja Gaj Singh II, whom the city simply calls Bapji.
- The season: in recent years the Jodhpur Polo and Equestrian Institute has run its season through December, with several handicap tournaments and exhibition matches. We confirm the fixtures each year.
- Where to stay: Umaid Bhawan Palace and Ajit Bhawan both have family links to the city's polo, and village forts nearby keep stables of their own.
- Pair it with: Mehrangarh at opening time, and a dawn ride in the Marwar countryside the next morning.
- Read more: our Jodhpur guide and our journal on the Jodhpur royal family.
How to watch a match like a local
The game in a minute
Two teams of four: each player has a number and a job, from the attacking number one to the defending back.
- Chukkas: the game is played in periods of about seven minutes, called chukkas, usually four to six in a match.
- Changing ponies: players change horses between chukkas, so each brings a string of ponies, and the horse lines are worth a visit in themselves.
- Handicaps: players are rated in goals, and team handicaps decide the level of a tournament and sometimes give the weaker side a head start.
The line of the ball
The key rule: the player following the line of the ball has right of way, and riding across it is a foul. Most whistles you hear are about this.
- Riding off: players may push each other off the line, shoulder to shoulder, at full gallop. It is the most exciting thing to watch.
- Hooking: a defender may hook an opponent's stick as he swings. Listen for the crack of cane on cane.
Half-time and the divots
Treading in: at half-time, spectators walk onto the field to press back the divots of turf the hooves have torn up. Children love it.
- Tea: it is also the moment for tea, a samosa and a word with the players' families on the lawns.
- Watch the grooms: they are the unsung heroes, walking, washing and calming the ponies all afternoon.
What to wear and bring
Smart, not stiff: a jacket or shawl for the winter afternoon, comfortable shoes for the grass, sunglasses and a hat.
- For women: a sari, a long dress or smart trousers all suit. Jaipur families dress well for the big matches.
- Bring: a camera with a long lens. Phones won't catch the gallop.
What we arrange for polo lovers
Good seats: we arrange seats or a place in the enclosures for the big matches, wherever the club allows guests, and confirm well in advance.
Tea with the players: where it can be done, an introduction to players, their families or the club's old hands, who will explain the ponies and the rivalries.
- A visit to the horse lines: a walk among the ponies and grooms before a match, which our guests often enjoy more than the game itself.
- A private match: for groups and special occasions, we can approach the clubs about an exhibition match or a chukka played for you. It depends on the season and the players. See a private polo match.
- Learning the basics: some clubs and stables in Rajasthan offer introductory sessions for confident riders. We arrange them only with experienced instructors and proper safety gear.
- The 61st Cavalry: the regiment's horses and riders are part of Jaipur's polo story. Visits depend entirely on the army's own rules, so we never promise them.
- A polo dinner: after a big match, dinner on the lawns of a palace hotel with the polo crowd is one of the liveliest evenings of the Jaipur winter.
- Combine with trophies: a curator-led walk through polo photographs and trophies in a palace museum, where the museum allows it.
The Marwari horse, with ears that nearly touch
A war horse: the Marwari was bred as the cavalry mount of the Rajput clans, hardy enough to cross the desert on little water and brave in battle.
The ears: the curved ears are the breed's signature, and breeders judge them as carefully as the legs.
- Breed
- Marwari, the old Rajput cavalry horse
- Known for
- Inward-curving ears, hardiness, a smooth gait
- Home
- Marwar and the desert districts
- Where to ride one
- Rohet, Mihir Garh, Nawalgarh, Dundlod
- The gait: many Marwaris have a smooth ambling gait, the revaal, which makes long rides comfortable.
- Nearly lost: after independence and the end of the princely cavalries, the breed declined sharply, and many horses were sold off or crossbred.
- Saved by families: Rajput families and breeders in Marwar and Shekhawati kept bloodlines going, and today the breed has a proud following in India and abroad.
- Where you meet them: at village forts that keep stables, at the Pushkar and Nagaur fairs, and at weddings, where the groom still rides to the bride's house on a decorated horse.
- Read more: our journal on Marwari horses tells the breed's story.
Riding out in Rajasthan
Rohet Garh, south of Jodhpur
The setting: a family fort by a lake in a farming village, about forty minutes to an hour from Jodhpur, known for its Marwari horses.
- The ride: out at dawn across the farmland and past Bishnoi hamlets, with blackbuck grazing in the fields and tea on the way back.
- Who it suits: confident riders and beginners alike, with rides matched to your level.
Mihir Garh, among the dunes
The setting: Rohet's sister, a fort-like retreat in the sandy country beyond, built for space and quiet.
- The ride: longer outings across open scrub and dunes, and the starting point for multi-day horse safaris.
- Who it suits: experienced riders who want room to canter.
Roop Niwas Kothi, Nawalgarh
The setting: a country house of the Nawalgarh family in Shekhawati, a hotel since 1981, with more than fifty Marwari horses in its stables.
- The ride: an hour, a day or several days across the fields and villages of the painted towns, past khejri trees and village wells.
- Book ahead: the family leads the longer safaris themselves.
Dundlod, in Shekhawati
The setting: a small fort town whose family has long been associated with Marwari horses.
- The ride: village rides through the painted towns, often combined with a stay in Mandawa or Nawalgarh.
- Pair it with: our page on painted havelis.
Several days on horseback
The journey: our Marwari horse safari rides from village to village through Marwar, with nights in forts, camps and rural homes.
- Support: a support vehicle, grooms, a guide and a cook travel with you, and the pace is set by the horses.
- Read more: our page on Marwari horse safaris covers levels, distances and kit.
Horses at the fairs and festivals
Pushkar, in Kartik: in the first days of the Pushkar Camel Fair, Marwari horses are shown off at a gallop, and breeders bargain over tea for days. Come early in the fair for the real trading.
Nagaur, in winter: the Nagaur Cattle Fair is one of India's great livestock fairs, with horses, camels and bullocks traded on the grounds below the fort.
- Weddings: in the wedding season, from November to February, the groom rides to the bride's house on a decorated mare, with a band in front. If you hear the band, stop and watch.
- Festival parades: at the Marwar Festival and the Jaisalmer Desert Festival, decorated horses and camels lead the processions.
- What to look for: ears, of course, but also the decoration, silver ornaments, embroidered saddle cloths and tassels, each family's pride.
- How to behave: ask before photographing owners and their horses, keep well back from the hind legs, and never feed an animal without asking.
When to come
October and November: riding begins as the heat breaks, and the Pushkar fair brings the horse traders.
December: the Jodhpur polo season in recent years, and the start of the Jaipur winter, with cold mornings and bright afternoons.
- Jaipur polo
- Winter, through the cool months
- Jodhpur polo
- December, in recent years
- Riding season
- October to March
- Avoid
- April to June, for heat
- Fixtures
- Confirmed by us each year
- January to March: the heart of the Jaipur polo winter, with clear skies and the big tournaments. Bring a warm layer for the late afternoon.
- April to June: too hot for horses and riders. Stables rest their animals, and we plan other things.
- The monsoon: July to September brings soft ground and green fields, and some stables ride in the cool early mornings. Polo stops.
- Plan early: big tournament weeks fill Rambagh and the best Jaipur hotels, so tell us early if you want to time a journey around them. Our best time to visit guide has more.
Where horse lovers stay
Rambagh Palace, Jaipur: the residence of Man Singh II and Maharani Gayatri Devi, a hotel since 1957, with the polo ground next door and peacocks on the lawns.
Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur: the last great palace of princely India, finished in 1943, for the December polo season and the family's polo history.
- Ajit Bhawan, Jodhpur: a family-run palace and one of the early heritage hotels, close to the city's polo world.
- Rohet Garh and Mihir Garh: village forts with Marwari horses and rides at dawn, about an hour from Jodhpur, Mihir Garh a little further.
- Roop Niwas Kothi, Nawalgarh: a family country house with large stables, the place to ride in Shekhawati.
- Compare them: our guides to palace hotels and luxury hotels in Jaipur help you choose.
What most visitors miss
The morning practice: on many winter mornings, players exercise their ponies on and around the grounds. Watching a quiet stick-and-ball session with chai is more intimate than any final.
The trophies in the palaces: look for polo cups, team photographs and portraits of players in the palace museums of Jaipur and Jodhpur. They tell the story of the families better than any plaque.
- The grooms' camp: behind the horse lines, grooms cook, mend tack and sleep near their ponies through the tournament weeks. Ask before you visit, and you may be offered tea.
- The breed shows: at fairs and village gatherings, breeders show Marwari mares and colts to each other, debating ears and gait with great seriousness.
- The wedding mare: the groom's mare is dressed in silver, embroidered cloth and tassels, often rented from a family that keeps horses only for weddings. Ask your guide to find one.
- The quiet ride home: after a dawn ride from a village fort, the walk home through waking fields, with women at the well and smoke from breakfast fires, is the part guests remember longest.
Who will love it
Riders: plan two or three dawn rides at village forts, or a multi-day safari, and tell us your level honestly so the stables can match your horse.
Polo fans: time your Jaipur stay for a tournament week, add Jodhpur in December, and ask for introductions to the players.
- Families: children love the horse lines, treading in divots at half-time and pony rides at the forts. Helmets are a must, and we bring them if the stable can't.
- Couples: a winter afternoon at the polo, tea on the Rambagh lawns and a dawn ride together the next day make one of our favourite pairs of days.
- Non-riders: a match is a social afternoon in the sun, and a fair's horse lines are full of colour and stories.
- Who may not enjoy it: travellers with a fear of large animals, or those visiting in the hot months when the horses rest.
Horse welfare and safety
Healthy horses only: we ride only at stables we know, where horses are well fed, well shod and rested, and we walk away from any animal that looks thin, lame or sore.
No overloading: stables set weight and ability limits for their horses' sake. We share them honestly before you book.
- Helmets: we insist on proper riding helmets for every rider, adults included.
- Heat: we ride in the early morning and late afternoon, never in the midday sun, and never in the hot months.
- At the fairs: watch, ask and admire, but don't ride animals offered for quick photos, and don't encourage tricks for tourists.
- Elephants and camels: we don't book elephant rides anywhere. For camels, see our page on ethical animal encounters.
- Insurance: make sure your travel insurance covers horse riding before you ride.
Before you go
Tell us your level: beginner, confident or experienced. It decides the stable, the horse and the route.
Pack: riding boots or sturdy shoes with a heel, your own breeches if you like them, a light jacket for dawn and a scarf for dust.
- For the polo: a smart jacket or shawl, sunglasses and comfortable shoes for the grass.
- Learn a word: ghodi is a mare and ghoda a horse. Grooms will laugh, kindly, when you try them.
- Tip the grooms: they work the hardest and are paid the least. Our guide to money and tipping explains what is usual.
- Combine well: a Jaipur polo afternoon, a Jodhpur fort, a ride from Rohet and a night in the dunes make a perfect horse lover's week. Ask us to plan it.