In Rajasthan, where bright colours are worn on festive occasions, the erstwhile royal family of Jaipur has been customarily wearing black during Diwali every year, year after year. Black, as opposed to the primary colours, is traditionally not associated with celebrations and is regarded as a symbol of loss and bereavement. Legend has it that the Kachhava clan suffered fatal casualties in an ancient war that was fought on a Diwali night. The former royals of Jaipur have since been celebrating Diwali wearing black. However, historians intrigued by the unusual phenomenon have now showed interest in researching the chronology of events that led the royal family members to wear black on Diwali night.
“We have been wearing black on Diwali for generations. Folklore says that many of our ancestors had been killed on Diwali night in a fiercely fought battle. Later, our family deity the Jamvai Mata in Ramgarh had brought them back to life. Black has since been worn on Diwali by all members as a mark of respect and faith in our family deity,” said erstwhile princess Diya Kumari, of Jaipur royal family to DNA.
Diya Kumari who is also the sitting BJP legislator from Sawai Madhopur constituency is quick to add that they don’t wear plain black clothes. “Our clothes are not plain black. They sport traditional sequin or gotta patti work that makes them sparkle in the lights. It is quite similar to the effect of the stars shining on the Diwali night, which falls on an Amavasya (new moon night).”
Some of the historians have now started researching the unique dressing of the erstwhile royals in Jaipur. “Royals in Rajasthan have a rule book of what to wear on various occasions to the minutest detail. There is a rule book that even dictates when they can wear socks and when they cannot,” said senior historian RS Khangarot.
