How Jaipur became a polo city
In the City Palace museum there is a glass case of silver cups, so many that the eye stops reading the names. Almost all of them were won by one Jaipur team in one English summer.
Man Singh played to the very end. In 1970 he fell during a match at Cirencester in England and died the same day. Every polo family in Jaipur knows that story, and tells it with a mixture of grief and pride.
Older than Jaipur: a game of horse and ball was played in Persia and Central Asia more than a thousand years ago, and travelled east with the courts of the Mughals.
From Manipur: the modern game came to the world from India's far north-east, where the people of Manipur had long played their own form of it.
Facts to know
- When
- Winter, usually around December into March
- Where
- Grounds near Rambagh Palace, and the cavalry ground
- Lasts
- A season of several tournaments
- Best day
- A weekend final, with tea on the lawns
- Book by
- Six to nine months ahead for Rambagh
- Good for
- Riders, horse lovers, families, couples
- The British: officers learned it there in the middle of the nineteenth century, founded clubs in Assam and Calcutta, and carried it to the cavalry regiments and princely states.
- The princes' sport: by the end of the century the states of Rajputana competed as fiercely on the polo ground as their ancestors once had in battle.
- Jodhpur first: Sir Pratap Singh, a regent of Jodhpur who seemed to live on horseback, built a team feared across India, and gave his name to the riding breeches riders still wear.
- Jaipur's signature: Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II, who came to the throne as a boy in 1922, was a born horseman and one of the finest players of his age.
- 1933: he took a Jaipur team to England and won all the major open tournaments of the season, making his name in polo circles around the world.
- Rambagh: Man Singh II and Maharani Gayatri Devi made it their home, and the grounds beside the palace hosted matches, with officers of the princely forces playing alongside the royal team.
- A social fixture: Jaipur's winter season became one of the fixtures of Indian society.
- The next generations: his son, Maharaja Bhawani Singh, kept the tradition alive, and his grandson Padmanabh Singh, the young head of the Jaipur royal family, plays polo internationally.
- Still central: the family's trophies are in the City Palace museum, and its horses, players and patrons are still at the heart of the season.
- Read more: our journal on polo in Jaipur and the Jaipur royal family tells the story in more detail.
When the season runs
Polo in Jaipur follows the weather, not the moon. When the grass is green and the air is cool enough for the ponies, the season begins.
A winter season: matches usually begin around December, build through January and February and finish in March, before the heat makes hard play unkind to the horses.
It moves: in some years play begins in late November, in others it has been delayed into the New Year by cold weather or other events. We confirm fixtures as soon as they are announced.
Facts to know
- Usual start
- Around December
- Usual end
- March, before the heat
- Weekdays
- League matches
- Weekends
- The finals
- Famous trophy
- Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Gold Vase
- Fixtures
- Set by the clubs, we confirm them
- The rhythm: tournaments follow one another over several weeks, with league matches on weekdays and finals at weekends.
- Old names: many trophies carry the names of princely states and rulers, such as the Kota Cup, the Sirmour Cup and the Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Gold Vase, one of the most prestigious of the calendar.
- The finals: they draw the biggest crowds, the best ponies and the most elegant afternoon teas.
December, the opening
- The weather: clear skies, cool mornings and the first tournaments.
- An escape: Jaipur is at its busiest around Christmas and New Year, and the polo grounds make a calm afternoon away from the monuments. See Christmas and New Year in Rajasthan.
January, the heart of the season
The coldest month: crisp days ideal for play.
- Shared with: Makar Sankranti on 14 January, when the walled city flies kites from every roof, and the Jaipur Literature Festival in the second half of the month.
- Our view: the most sociable time to be in the city.
February, the big finals
- The weather: warm afternoons and cool evenings.
- Our favourite: February is our favourite month in Rajasthan for weather, and some of the most important finals crown it.
March, the last chukkers
- Winding down: the days warm and Holi approaches.
- The mood: the last matches of the year are relaxed and often the friendliest to watch.
Where to watch polo in Jaipur and beyond
Jaipur's polo is played on a few grass grounds within a short drive of each other. Each has its own character.
The grounds beside Rambagh Palace
The club: the Rajasthan Polo Club plays next to Rambagh Palace, in the leafy quarter south of the walled city.
- The history: the historic heart of Jaipur polo, where Man Singh's teams played.
- After the match: guests can walk across from the palace lawns, and the Polo Bar, hung with photographs and trophies, is the natural place for a drink.
The cavalry ground
The 61st Cavalry: the Indian Army regiment based in Jaipur, widely described as the last serving horse-mounted cavalry regiment in the world.
- Its players: among the strongest in India, and its ground hosts important matches in the season.
- Why watch: a reminder of how close Indian polo still is to its cavalry roots.
Other grounds and private clubs
On the city's edges: other grounds and private clubs, some with their own short seasons and tournaments.
- Women's polo: it has grown in recent years.
- Our help: we follow the calendar and tell you which matches are worth an afternoon.
Jodhpur, the other polo city
- Its tradition: Jodhpur has its own, from Sir Pratap Singh's teams to the polo played today, with its own winter fixtures.
- Travelling between them: we look at both calendars.
Camel polo at the desert festivals
- Where: at the Bikaner Camel Festival in January and the Jaisalmer Desert Festival in February.
- What it is like: slow, comic and much loved by the crowds.
Understanding the game in five minutes
Polo looks like chaos the first time you watch it. Ten minutes later, with someone beside you explaining, it looks like the most thrilling thing a horse and rider can do.
The aim: two teams of four riders try to hit a small ball through the opposing goal with long-handled mallets.
Chukkers: a match is divided into periods of about seven minutes each.
Facts to know
- Teams
- Four riders each
- Mallets
- Cane shafts, wooden heads
- Chukker
- About seven minutes of play
- Jaipur matches
- Usually four or more chukkers
- Handicaps
- Minus two to ten goals
- Fresh ponies: players change ponies between chukkers because the work is so hard, which is why strings of horses wait with their grooms at the edge of the ground.
- Handicaps: every player has one, measured in goals, from minus two for a beginner to ten for the very best in the world.
- Team totals: a team's handicap is the sum of its players', and tournaments are graded by that total. The higher the number, the faster and more skilful the polo.
- The line of the ball: once struck, the ball creates an imaginary line along its path, and the player following it has right of way.
- What is allowed: riders may ride each other off, shoulder to shoulder, and hook each other's mallets.
- The foul: crossing the line in front of a player with right of way. Watch the umpires on horseback and the referee on the sideline. A whistle and a free hit mean someone crossed the line.
Local tip
At half time, walk onto the field and tread in the divots, pressing back the turf the hooves have torn up. Children love it. Wear flat shoes, because heels sink into the grass.
A polo afternoon in Jaipur, hour by hour
Polo fits into a Jaipur day perfectly. The monuments are best in the morning, the matches in the golden afternoon.
Facts to know
- Morning
- Hawa Mahal or Amber Fort
- Midday
- Long lunch and rest
- Early afternoon
- The ponies being prepared
- Afternoon
- The match
- Late afternoon
- Prize-giving and tea
- Evening
- The Polo Bar at Rambagh
Morning, the old city
- Early sights: Hawa Mahal at sunrise and a walk through the bazaars as the shutters lift, or Amber Fort when the gates open.
- Back by late morning: to your hotel.
Midday, lunch and rest
- Slow down: a long lunch on the palace lawns, a swim or a rest. The midday sun is warm even in January.
Early afternoon, the stables
- Behind the scenes: if the teams permit it, we take you to see the ponies prepared, legs bandaged, manes hogged, tack checked.
- The grooms: proud of their horses and happy to explain their work.
Afternoon, the match
- The light: most matches are played in the afternoon, when it softens over the grounds.
- Your seat: by the boards or in the stands, with one of our guides or a friend from the polo world to explain. Tread in at half time.
Late afternoon, tea and the prize-giving
- At a final: trophies are presented on the lawn, often by a member of a princely family, and tea is served.
- The company: old polo families, officers and visitors mixing easily, one of the most sociable gatherings of the Jaipur winter.
Evening, the Polo Bar
- A drink among legends: walk back to Rambagh for the Polo Bar and its photographs of Man Singh's teams.
- Then: dinner in the palace or out in the city.
The ponies and the people behind them
Watch the edge of a polo ground for a while instead of the play. The real life of the season is in the horse lines.
Several ponies a match: a player in a serious tournament may need one or two for each chukker, so a team travels with a small village of horses, grooms and farriers.
The grooms: many from families who have worked with horses for generations, up before dawn to feed, water and exercise the ponies. They know each animal's temper better than anyone.
- A job, not a breed: most ponies in Jaipur are thoroughbreds or thoroughbred crosses, chosen for speed, nerve and a quick turn.
- Years of training: they learn to stop, spin and follow the ball almost by themselves. Players say a good pony is three-quarters of a good player.
- Rest: between matches the ponies are walked, bathed and rested, and in the hottest weeks of the year they are turned out to recover.
- The army: cavalry officers played across India long before independence, and the 61st Cavalry and other mounted units still produce many of the country's best players.
- On one field: young officers, princely families, businessmen who have taken up the game and professionals from India and abroad.
- Its charm: one of the few places in the city where all of those worlds meet as equals.
Local tip
Ask a groom about his favourite pony. You may hear a story longer than the match, and you will learn more about polo than any programme will tell you.
Riding and playing yourself
Our cousins learned to ride on Marwari horses in their grandfather's village, and some of them still play. For guests who ride well, the season is a chance to get onto the field.
A lesson: for confident riders, with a polo professional, starting on a wooden practice horse and moving to stick and ball work on a trained pony.
A practice chukker: experienced players who bring their handicap can sometimes join one.
- Your own match: for groups and celebrations we arrange a private polo match on one of the city's grounds, with teams, umpires and tea.
- Into the country: ride out from Jaipur or a fort hotel on Marwari horses, the old cavalry breed of Rajasthan, whose ears curve inward until the tips almost touch.
- Read more: our pages on polo and horses and Marwari horse safaris describe what we arrange, and our journal on Marwari horses tells the breed's story.
- Stables we use: only those that care properly for their horses, with good feed, rest between rides, sound tack and experienced grooms.
- No elephants: we don't support elephant polo or any game played on captive elephants, and we don't book elephant rides anywhere in Rajasthan. Our ethical animal encounters page explains why.
What to wear and how to behave at the boards
Polo in Jaipur is relaxed, friendly and a little old-fashioned. A few small habits make you look as if you have been coming for years.
Smart casual: linen, cottons, a light jacket or shawl for when the sun goes down, and sunglasses. For a final, people dress up a little more.
Flat shoes or boots: you will want to walk the field at half time, and heels sink into the grass.
- Behind the boards: stay there, well clear of the ponies' lines. A polo pony at full gallop cannot stop for a spectator.
- Around horses: never walk behind one or approach a pony without its groom's permission.
- Photography: no flash near the field, and keep drones away entirely.
- Clap for both sides: a shout of well played for the losing team is always appreciated.
- Thank your host: if invited to a private tent or tea. Polo in Jaipur still runs on friendship.
How we plan around the polo season
The polo season coincides with Jaipur's peak months. The matches are easy to fit in. The rooms are not.
Peak months: the best palace rooms, especially at Rambagh in January and February and over Christmas and New Year, are booked many months ahead.
For a specific final: book six to nine months in advance.
Your days: we follow the clubs' fixtures as they are announced and adjust your days so the finals fall on an afternoon you are in the city.
Facts to know
- Book by
- Six to nine months ahead
- Hardest weeks
- January, February, Christmas and New Year
- Nights in Jaipur
- Three or four
- Pack
- A light jacket for cold evenings
- Tell us
- If you ride, and at what level
- Seats: many matches are open to spectators. For the bigger finals we arrange seats, enclosure access where it is offered, and a guide or friend from the polo world to sit with you.
- Honesty: we cannot promise invitations to private events, and we never pretend to.
- What we promise: your afternoon at the polo will be well placed, well explained and unhurried.
- Allow time: three or four nights in Jaipur include a match without losing the monuments.
- Evenings: they turn cold quickly in December and January, so bring a light jacket.
- If you ride: tell us, and at what level, so we can arrange a lesson or a chukker.
Where to stay for the polo
There is one obvious answer, and a few very good alternatives.
Rambagh Palace
What it is: the former home of Man Singh II and Gayatri Devi, now run by Taj, beside the polo grounds.
- Its charm: peacocks walk the lawns, and the Polo Bar holds the trophies and photographs of the great Jaipur teams.
- For the season: you can walk to the match. There is nowhere better.
Jai Mahal Palace
- What it is: an eighteenth-century residence in formal Mughal gardens, a few minutes from Rambagh and the grounds.
- Who it suits: Jai Mahal Palace is quieter and more intimate, for couples who want calm between matches.
The Oberoi Rajvilas and The Leela Palace
Rajvilas: further from the city, The Oberoi Rajvilas offers space, silence and one of the finest spas in India.
- The Leela: The Leela Palace Jaipur is a grand, modern palace.
- The drive: both are an easy drive to the grounds.
Samode Haveli, inside the walls
What it is: Samode Haveli, the townhouse of the Rawals of Samode, in a quiet courtyard in the north-east of the walled city.
- Who it suits: guests who want the old city at the door and polo in the afternoons.
- Compare: our list of luxury hotels in Jaipur covers them all.
Journeys and festivals that pair with the polo
Jaipur in winter is the start of most great Rajasthan journeys. The polo season simply gives the first days a little more glamour.
The Royal Rajputana
- The journey: our fifteen-night Royal Rajputana journey begins with three nights in Jaipur and continues through the great palace cities.
- In the season: we time the Jaipur nights to a weekend final.
Palaces and Tigers
- The pairing: Palaces and Tigers combines Jaipur's polo and palaces with tiger safaris in Ranthambore, open through the polo months.
Winter festivals
- The company: Makar Sankranti, the Jaipur Literature Festival and the desert festivals of Bikaner and Jaisalmer share the winter with polo.
- See how they fall: our winter in Rajasthan journey and our festival calendar.
Jaipur in three nights
- A short stay: Jaipur in three nights easily makes room for a polo afternoon between the old city and Amer.
Who will love the polo season
Polo is not for everyone, but it is for more people than you might think.
Riders and horse lovers: you will love it, and so will anyone curious about the princely world that shaped modern Jaipur.
Families: they enjoy the speed, the ponies and treading in the divots.
Facts to know
- Loves it
- Riders, horse lovers, the curious
- Families
- The speed, the ponies, the divots
- Couples
- Afternoon light, tea on the lawns
- Short on time
- Half an hour at a weekday match
- Couples: they enjoy the afternoon light and the tea on the lawns.
- Photographers: they love the dust, the colour and the drama of the play.
- Rambagh guests: they will find it hard to resist walking across to watch.
- May not suit: those who dislike social occasions, or want every hour of a short stay for the monuments and bazaars.
- The light option: skip the final, look in on a weekday match for half an hour, or see the trophies in the City Palace museum.
- Other afternoons: our things to do in Jaipur guide has many more ways to spend one.