Why's that horse wearing a gas-mask?
Inside the Rajya Angan (royal courtyard) of the Udaipur City Palace Complex is a gallery devoted to the legendary warrior Maharana Pratap and his horse Chetak. The gallery displays the original armour and weapons used by Maharana Pratap and Chetak during the great battle of Haldighati in 1576, fought between the Rajputs and the Mughals.
The "gas mask" is in fact a false trunk, intended to trick elephants into thinking the horse was a baby elephant. What the elephant believed it was looking at was important, because elephants actually fought by holding mardana swords in their trunks and slashing with them from side to side!
It was a wound from one of these swords that unfortunately killed Chetak, during the battle of Haldighati. Legend has it that the horse reared up high and planted its hooves on the forehead of Imperial Mughal Commander Man Singh's elephant, while Maharana Pratap courageously attempted to slay him with a lance. Man Singh managed to duck, and the blow killed the mahout (elephant driver) instead. The horse was critically wounded in the melee that followed but still managed to carry his master to safety.
Why's that horse wearing a gas-mask?
Inside the Rajya Angan (royal courtyard) of the Udaipur City Palace Complex is a gallery devoted to the legendary warrior Maharana Pratap and his horse Chetak. The gallery displays the original armour and weapons used by Maharana Pratap and Chetak during the great battle of Haldighati in 1576, fought between the Rajputs and the Mughals.
The "gas mask" is in fact a false trunk, intended to trick elephants into thinking the horse was a baby elephant. What the elephant believed it was looking at was important, because elephants actually fought by holding mardana swords in their trunks and slashing with them from side to side!
It was a wound from one of these swords that unfortunately killed Chetak, during the battle of Haldighati. Legend has it that the horse reared up high and planted its hooves on the forehead of Imperial Mughal Commander Man Singh's elephant, while Maharana Pratap courageously attempted to slay him with a lance. Man Singh managed to duck, and the blow killed the mahout (elephant driver) instead. The horse was critically wounded in the melee that followed but still managed to carry his master to safety.