I have gone through a little of the manuscript and a synopsis of the book entitled 'Jhools In The Dust' written by Greta M Palmer, the result of her comprehensive study of elephant trappings. Ms.Palmer has chosen a very specialised subject for her research and has had to devote several years to collecting authentic information regarding 'Jhools', 'Howdahs', 'Seers' and other accoutrements for elephants at the Mehrangarh Museum at Jodhpur and in Kota, Udaipur and Jaipur. During these visits she painstakingly recorded details and dimensions which she has listed in the appendix together with the lists of collections held by each Museum. Her interview with an elderly Mahout and a Jhool-maker in Udaipur enriched her knowledge qualitatively and enabled her to add sections on painting & husbandry of the elephant while her meeting with an elephant decorator in Trichur has helped her to add depth and delight to her work.

The book well reflects the efforts and fruits of Greta's travels in the different arts of the country and her photographs complement her accounts and provide another dimension to this unique contribution in a relatively unknown field.

I congratulate her on her sincere effort and a very commendable outcome.