Four Ujjain Friends Don Royal Attires To Make People Smile

 

 

Ujjain: The second member is Manohar Gupta Nayak alias Swami Khilkhilake who has a cloth business. The third is Pandit Dinesh Rawal alias Swami Dilmilake, a retired bank employee. The last member of the group is Mohit Gehlot alias Swami Laharake who runs an eatery. At every procession each of them wears a costume weighing eight kilos and costing more than Rs 30,000.

 

These costumes are replicas of the royal costumes worn by various royalties including the Scindias, Holkars, Shivaji, Swami Nath, Bajirao and other kings and emperors. These dresses have been made in Surat. In addition to this, the group members have a collection of turbans procured from Mumbai, Pune, Jaipur and Ahmedabad. Their shoes have been made in Chittorgarh. The group follows the old saying ‘Smile and the world smiles with you. Cry and you cry alone.” He said this is the sentiment that prevails across the subcontinent from Attock to Cuttack and Kashmir to Kanyakumari. The group has been donning these attires for the last 39 years in the processions of Baba Mahakal with the purpose of bringing the youth closer to the real Indian culture.

 

They also carry ornamental weapons procured from Jodhpur. These include swords and chakra. They also wear the Surya turban. The costumes form a part of the collection in Swami Muskurake's museum where even the replicas of Suryayan and Chandrayan are available. Interestingly, none of the members ever dress up like any of the deities. Swami Muskurake said, “We started wearing these costumes by taking inspiration from the stories of kings and emperors.

 

The main objective is to promote Indian culture and to make the young generation familiar with it." He disclosed that his museum has costumes, necklaces, turbans and crowns of characters from Mughal, Maratha and Parmar era. "I never use lipstick or powder. I remain natural but it takes up to two and a half hours for me to get ready. Applying the tilak with a toothpick takes most of the time. I always apply the tilak upside down looking in the mirror. I have practiced it for a long time. I use water colours, kajal and sandalwood," Swami Muskurake disclosed.