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Updated: September 16, 2025
Other sitars came in illusively, till they snared the current of human blood in a golden mesh and measured its flow to the time of mounting emotion. Then Neela Deo himself Neela Deo, the Blue God! appeared at the stockade gates alone, with Kudrat Sharif on his neck. His caparison was of crimson velvet, all over-wrought with gold thread. The gold fringes were a yard deep.
Kudrat Sharif had been raked off Neela Deo's neck and was scrambling to his feet on the ground. In one glimpse I saw his dothi was torn and a long dripping cut on one thigh. He shouted, but I couldn't make it out, because all the elephants were trumpeting to the universe.
The sense of tears was in Kudrat Sharif's voice; but it loomed into courage, as it chanted the superior excellence of Neela Deo's attributes. Then Neela Deo braced himself and went on, but more slowly. The big Englishman smiled tenderly: "He's a white-wizard, is Kudrat Sharif that mahout! He does beautiful magic, with his passion and with his pain.
Then Chakkra informed Skag that Kudrat Sharif, Neela Deo's mahout, was the third of his line to serve the Blue God, who was not yet nearly in the ictus of his power and beauty; while he, Chakkra, was the only mahout Gunpat Rao had known since he came down from the Vindhian trap-stockades, where he was snared. He was about thirty years younger than Neela Deo, the King.
Having learned to know human voices, they had already felt the mounting excitement; they had already been tamping the ground with hard driving strokes, as if making speed on the open highway for some time. But in this abandonment to amusement, this joyous unrestraint, they must have found some reminder. They did not have Neela Deo's sense of humour.
This meant the Blue God, the leader of the caravan; and signified the lordliest elephant in all India. . . . The Deputy, after a slight pause, answered himself: "But Neela Deo is away with the chief commissioner. . . . Mitha Baba " There was another lilting pause. This referred to a female elephant, the meaning of whose name was "Sweet Baby."
So the people of Hurda went out to meet Neela Deo, King of all elephants. When the front of the throng went by his place, Hand-of-a-God enquired of running men from his own gateway. By his side the Gul Moti stood with Son of Power. When they understood, she pushed her chosen of all men through the vine-made arch and he sprang away and ran with the people.
He went in with a charging challenge that was intoxication to those who heard all the assurance of ancient mastership in it. No one had ever seen Neela Deo fight before. Kudrat Sharif was so astonished that he barely got back from his neck in time to be out of the way. The mahouts were amazed Neela Deo did not fight! Neela Deo was the Lord of peaceful rule!
A great folded leaf appeared; a long heavy stalk; then the flawless splendour of one bloom immaculate! a sacred lotus, brought from far lakes. The Gul Moti received its ineffable loveliness and rose to stretch her fingers toward the multitude. Then their shouts swept the horizon. Still, their concept of Neela Deo's character must be either shattered or restored and soon; they would not wait.
Sanford Hantee saw Neela Deo stop to receive the first garlands on his trunk. From there on, the great elephant paused deliberately after every step to take the offerings of homage from hundreds of reaching hands.
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