Rajpipla and some glorious years of polo

Some of India’s finest polo players at Jaipur in 1951.
(Seated from left) Hony. Lt. Gaje Singh, Maharaj Prem Singh, Maharaja Jaideep Singh of Baria, Lt. Col. Thakur Kishen Singh, Rao Raja Hanut Singh, Maharaja Man Singh of Jaipur, Col. Rajendra Singh Rohet, Maharaja Jagaddipendra Narayan of Cooch Behar, Col. Sumer Singh Chitora, and Raja Bahadur Narendra Singh of Panna.
(Standing from left) My father Maharajkumar Indrajit Singh of Rajpipla, Z.K. Wadia, Maharaj Hari Singh, Maharajkumar Pushpendra Singh of Panna, Russi Contractor, Maharaj Jabber Singh, Bhairon Singh of Kanota, and a JCO of the Indian Army.

Rajpipla Polo Team 1943 at Rajpipla Gymkhana and Polo Club.
(From left) Maharajkumar Indrajitsinhji, Yuvraj Rajendrasinhji, Maharaja Vijaysinhji and Maharajkumar Pramodsinhji.

My grandfather Maharaja Vijaysinhji of Rajpipla (right) hosted Maharaja Man Singh of Jaipur and his polo team in 1938.
This photograph was taken at Vijay Palace, Rajpipla.

After Maharaja Vijaysinhji won the Epsom Derby of England in 1934, his good friend, the author Vivian Charles Buckley, wrote about him in Sunday Graphic and Sunday News: “This kindly host is almost as fond of polo as racing, and every evening in India he either plays himself or watches a game from the terrace of his private gymkhana club with his relations, staff and guests. A military band plays by the side of the ground, and the sound of galloping hoofs may be heard till well after dusk – when the moon rises a golden crescent behind the goalposts”.

My grandfather Maharaja Vijaysinhji of Rajpipla (centre) with the winners of the Rajpipla Cup at Bombay in February 1926. Governor of Bombay Presidency Sir Leslie Wilson is to his left.

My grandfather Maharaja Vijaysinhji of Rajpipla and Thakur Moti Singh Solanki at the Rajpipla Polo Ground in 1919-20.
Thakur Moti Singh was incharge of improving the polo ground at Rajpipla.

Polo in Calcutta 1954-55.
Maharaja Man Singh of Jaipur in the centre, with my father Maharajkumar Indrajit Singh of Rajpipla to his left.

Polo in Calcutta 1954-55.
Maharani Gayatri Devi of Jaipur in the centre. My father Maharajkumar Indrajit Singh of Rajpipla is on the extreme left.

Rajpipla Polo Cup 1955 at Indian Military Academy, Dehra Dun.
My father Maharajkumar Indrajitsinhji of Rajpipla is standing third from right.

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