Easter in Amritsar

From 200904Amritsar

The Grand Hotel is recommended by Lonely Planet, and deserves that mention. The room are spartan but clean and serviceable. As the hotel was converted from a Haveli – a rich man’s extended family/guest house – in 1951, the central garden courtyard is the best feature. The owner chatted with us over coffee, discussing the merits of different boarding schools. He is a graduate of St.George’s (in Mussoorie). He had considered sending his son to St.George’s, or Woodstock, but ending up sending him to Mayo, the school for Rajasthani princes, where they offer golfing and equitation.

From 200904Amritsar

During our discussion, we heard singing outside – a Good Friday procession of Christians, several hundred strong, all carrying crosses and processing through town.

Some nearby Woodstock parents invited us to their house for dinner. They live in a large house with extended family – grandmother, two brothers with their wives and children. It is even a legal entity, in terms of property ownership: the Hindu Extended Family. This social model is still typical in India, and seems to produce well-socialized and gregarious children.

From 200904Amritsar

We hired a car for Saturday, to take us 50km south to Kapurthala, the residence of the Spanish princess that Barb had read of. The maharajah traveled to Europe in the early 1900s, met and wooed a Lady in Spain. She returned with him to India and inspired him to build a palace modeled after Versailles.

From 200904Amritsar

The royal families were gradually disinherited by the new democratic socialist government in India.

From 200904Amritsar

In 1961 the palace was converted to a boys’ military school – the Sainik School is an important feeder school for the military academies, and is now accessible only to invited guests.

From 200904Amritsar

Another Woodstock family provided a local tourguide and entrée to the school and its dusty drawing room holding the maharajah’s curios – French tapestries, statues, clocks, and tiger skins.

From 200904Amritsar

The school library is a rigid square of old cloth-covered books lined up around a gorgeous spacious ballroom.

From 200904Amritsar

Our guide then took us to visit the home of the newly-appointed District Commissioner (chief civil servant), a Woodstock alumnus from the class of 1980. He noted that Kapurthala is a peaceful posting, though remote from the capital. We discussed the upcoming elections and the responsibility of the commissioners for ensuring a safe and transparent balloting process. The national elections take place in 5 phases in April and May – Punjab votes in the last phase – due to security concerns. They hold the boxes until May 16th, when all are counted at once.