Love Story...or...Suttee

The coincidences continue. In my last blog I commented on the 10 year anniversary of my commitment to transcribing my dad's memoirs. I have to teach the Family History class next week and I was wondering what I could possibly discuss.

This past week, Kathie gave me a copy of the September 2009 issue of "Traveler" and said "You need to read this.". Last night I decided to check it out. On page 164, under the heading of "Putting on the Raj" are images of glamorous models with the backdrop of Jodhpur palaces. Since my dad was the private pilot for Himmat Singhji (Regent of Jodhpur) from 1952 -1954, and since he lived in Jodhpur palaces, I have searched for images of those palaces without success for years. The magazine provided the official names of the palaces and I was able to Google them with great success. It was exciting. I even discovered that each of the palaces have guest quarters where visitors may stay.

So feeling lucky, I also searched the name Himmet Singhji. I have never found a reference to him before. I was amazed to find an article called "A Love Story: Suttee in Contemporary Rajasthan" by Ann Newton Holmes. This woman actually interviewed Himmat Singhji and his wife, in about 1994, about their life in the Umiad Palace. Himmat digressed from the subject and wanted to discuss "the most moving experience of my life".

As I read the article, I realized that it was about the Suttee (a woman's self-immolation on her husband's funeral pyre) which my dad wrote about in his memoirs. I got goose bumps on goose bumps. My father was there. He witnessed the whole event. He was the only "Englishman" to do so. He was close friends with the "Brig" and his wife who committed Suttee; they played Bridge together on a regular basis. My dad agreed that it was an experience that one could never forget.

So then I Googled Ann Newton Holmes and found her email address...sent her an email with a couple of my dad's transcribed tapes. Now I'm waiting for a response. I think I may have something to talk about on September 6.