JODHPUR, in Rajasthan, is famous for Kings and Maharajas, their valour and their might. Men have ruled the princely states for ages while women, mostly, had to play the second fiddle. Not anymore! Hemkunwar Shekhawat, a woman tourist guide in her late 40s, has broken the glass-ceiling and has become the torchbearer for the female guides in Jodhpur. The 14th-century Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur has become a stage for her courage where she broke into the male-dominated domain of guides.

 

It was a twist of fate which led Hemkunwar to enter the field. Her husband, a licensed guide, had fallen ill which forced her to step out and make ends meet for the family of three. “Some 10 years ago, it was because my husband got ill and could not continue with his daily job of climbing the fort, that I decided to venture into this field after much hesitation,” said Hemkunwar as she continued explaining the tourists about different ‘nakkashi’ on the walls and ceilings. “I had no example to follow. Being the first woman guide brought its own difficulties. For Rajput women, such work was unheard of. But I had to feed my family and educate my son,” Hemkunwar recalled. A post-graduate in political science, Hemkunwar used to teach kids at home to double the family income.

 

“I used to teach kids here in Jodhpur. Earnings of a guide are not stable. Sometimes you get tourists and big groups and sometimes you hardly get any. So, by teaching kids, it helped us financially,” said Hemkunwar, adding that she gradually learnt the nuances of a guide while moving around the sprawling fort, the courtyard, learning the rich history of the fort and the carvings on walls. As her interest grew in guiding tourists, Hemkunwar's sincerity and deep understanding of the fort’s heritage earned her recognition — and the coveted Green Card from the Rajasthan Government which authorised her as an official guide. After 10 years in the profession, she is now eligible for the Yellow Card, which will give her an access to State tourism assignments. “That day will come soon. Nothing is impossible if you have the will to achieve,” she confidently said. It would have been an enormous task stepping out of the house, but Hemkunwar’s determination has forced three more women to change their mindset and follow her. The language barrier is stopping her from guiding foreign tourists but Hemkunwar has no regrets. She is happy that other women are following her now.

 

“When people saw me working confidently here, more women came forward. Now we are four women tourist guides among 100 men,” she proudly stated. While Hemkunwar daily tells the stories of King Ajit Singh of Marwar, the Jhanki Mahal built by Maharaja Takhat Singh (c. 1860), the 16th century Moti Mahal built by Sawai Raja Sur Singh, she makes it a point that her son studies well. “He is studying MBBS second year in Chamundeshwari Medical College near Bengaluru. “He is my biggest strength. I pray he achieves success in his life,” she said. For a woman who is bringing Mehrangarh’s centuries-old stories alive for tourists, Hemkunwar's own story, too, is of a gritty valour. May her tribe grow!