Kamal Ghorui
As you step through the gates of the City Palace in Jaipur and enter the Diwan-i-Khas, two massive silver vessels catch the light, standing in stark, shimmering contrast to the red and pink sandstone of the royal hall. To the uninitiated, they might look like extravagant kitchenware. But these urns are more than mere containers; they are monumental symbols of a king’s devotion and the “Land of Rulers” legendary commitment to tradition.The history of the City Palace is inextricably linked to the city of Jaipur itself. Its halls have witnessed the rise and fall of dynasties and the preservation of a heritage hailed across the globe. Among the artifacts and manuscripts of the palace, the stories of Sawai Ram Singh II and Sawai Madho Singh II stand out.Sawai Madho Singh II, an adopted descendant of the Kachhawa clan, who trace their lineage back to Kush, the son of the Hindu god Rama, was a man of profound faith. One particular anecdote of his spiritual conviction remains physically preserved in the palace today: the world’s largest silver jars.
The silver urns
They were made by Govind Narain in 1902 for the Maharaja of Jaipur
Two silver objects situated in the City Palace of Jaipur are recognised by the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest items constructed out of the metal. These are two ornate, life-sized urns made out of 14,000 silver coins over a period of two years. Their purpose was as singular as their size. In 1902, the Maharaja was invited to London to attend the coronation of King Edward VII, who was succeeding his mother, late Queen Victoria. However, for a devout Hindu of that era, crossing the waters of the ocean was a religious transgression that could lead to a loss of caste.
The travel across the oceans
The life-sized urns were made out of 14,000 silver coins over a period of two years.
Water overseas was considered unsuitable for drinking by devout Hindus as was the journey across the oceans. Caught between the religious decrees of his priests and the political necessity of honouring the British Crown, the Maharaja found a middle ground. He would go, but he would bring India with him.He was expected to stay in the UK for three months and thus sought help from religious leaders who came up with the solution. During his journey, the king carried three giant silver jars, each with a capacity to hold 4,000 litres of gangajal for drinking, as per the City Palace Museum, Jaipur. Water from the holy river of Ganga, is considered pure in Hinduism and pious for consumption by the followers of the religion. The Maharaja chartered a ship called Olympia from the shore of Bombay, which cost ₹15 lakh back in the day, but had never cooked or served beef aboard, thus being pure. He took along an idol of the royal family deity, Gobind Deoji, and soil from the city to spread under his bed and that of the god. Two days before the departure from Bombay, a group of 25 Hindu priests was sent on board the ship to conduct religious ceremonies that would keep the presiding deity of the ocean, Lord Varuna, happy. During the propitiation, symbolic gifts of pearls, diamonds and gold coins were ceremoniously dropped into the sea.In the ship with six lavish suites, one suite was occupied by the idol of Lord Gopal, one by the king, one by a priest and one by his minister Sansar Chandra Sen. Travelling with the king was a priest, brought along to pray to Lord Varuna (the Hindu god of the ocean) for a calm journey across. However, as was the anger of the waves of the Red Sea, the ship was caught in a storm and the king was advised to drop one jar, called Gangajali Kalash into the ocean to appease Lord Varuna. The storm subsided, leaving two jars to complete the historic voyage.Finally, the royal ruler reached the British coast with 132 servants, 600 pieces of luggage, Hindu priests and two giant Gangajali Kalash containing about 8,000 litres of water. He presented King Edward VII with a 2,000-carat diamond-encrusted sword made by Seth Banji Tholia, a famous jeweller of Jaipur. This sword was made of steel and gold, enamelled in blue, green and red. The diamonds were set in a lotus shape with green leaves made of emerald. However, it is said that the Maharaja did not attend the coronation dinner as he could not eat the food served there and instead ate in his own accommodation. He safely arrived in Bombay on September 12, 1902, and was welcomed to Jaipur with a big reception by his subjects.
The Guinness World Record
Today, the two surviving jars remain the star exhibits of the City Palace Museum. It was in 1902, during the reign of the king that the jars weighing 242.7 kilograms each were added to the Guinness World Records. According to the official website of Guinness World Records, “The largest single pieces of silver are a pair of water jugs weighing 242.7 kg (10,408 troy ounces) (4.77cwt) made by Govind Narain in 1902 for the Maharaja of Jaipur (1861-1922). They are 1.6 m (5 ft 3 in) tall, 2.48 m (8 ft 1.5 in) in circumference. They are now housed in the City Palace, Jaipur, India.”
