SANDS OF TIME
THE SETTING IS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE. I’ve just alighted from my trusty camel to see vibrant swaying cloth break the stark monotony of the desert. After a ceremonial welcome in royal fashion, I settle down to enjoy the mesmerising view. My fellow travellers and I are seated on majlis-style cushions shaded by canopies, gin-and-tonic in hand, and are being served generously by a team led by Nakul Hada, general manager, Suryagarh Jaisalmer. In front of us, Mehboob Khan and his troupe croon ballads against the backdrop of the setting sun. They belong to the Manganiyar community who used to sing for royal families on important occasions like festivals, childbirth, death, and even the onset of war.
