HBO Raj World
At the beginning of Season 2 Episode 3 of Westworld, we got to see a brand new park that looks very intriguing (and that’s an understatement). This is likely the “Raj World” that has been rumored for quite some time. The park wasn’t explicitly named during the episode, but all signs point to this being the “RajWorld” that so many fans have been waiting to see. Here’s everything we know so far about Raj World. This post has spoilers for Season 2 Episode 3 of Westworld.
1. The New World Was the Focus of a Surprising Intro Scene in ‘Virtù e Fortuna’
HBORaj World
The new world was front and center during a surprising introduction scene in Episode 3 of Season 2, called Virtù e Fortuna. We were introduced to the new park with no warning, as we were also introduced to two new characters. This park looks like it is set to be reminiscent of India, and includes a safari option for guests.
HBOJust riding in on elephants in RajWorld.
The new character Grace, played by Katja Herbers, was determined to find a connection with a park guest and not someone who was secretly a host too. It looked like they were about to embark on a safari together, when the hosts rebelled — just like they did in Westworld. This was the sign that fans were waiting for, so they could know for certain that Ford’s change to the code affected all the parks and not just Westworld. Ford had seemed singularly focused on Westworld all through Season 1, so it was unclear just what role or authority he had in the other parks. Now we know the answer: he had just as much authority there as in Westworld.
The opening scene ended with a tiger attacking Grace, in what may be one of the most exciting introductory scenes in the history of Westworld so far.
2. Grace Is Looking for Something Very Important in Raj World
Raj World Map
Did you catch Grace’s quick look at her map after she and her companion got off the elephants and arrived at their destination? She is looking for something very specific and very important.
HBORaj World and Grace
Above is Grace’s map of Raj World and the location she is seeking. We’re actually going to see this symbol again later in this episode. Let us know if you see it. (We’ll update this story later with details about the symbol.)
You may not remember, however, that we’ve seen something that looks a lot like this symbol once before, in the Season 2 premiere.
HBOThe symbol
Yes, when Charlotte was trying to get extracted and was communicating with Delos outside of the park, she logged into a system in the underground lab that she and Bernard visited. A symbol that strongly resembles the one on Grace’s map appeared while she was logged in.
3. There Are Six Parks Total, and Raj World is Park 6
HBORaj World is Park 6.
Thanks to an ARG that runs concurrent with Westworld, based on several websites that provide clues about the show, fans know that there are a total of six parks, including Westworld. The CheatSheet provided great details on how fans originally discovered this. If you go to Delos Destinations (which fans originally found during a Super Bowl commercial but now is widely known), you can see here that there are six parks listed: Westworld, ShogunWorld, and four parks that are closed to the public (likely until they are publicly revealed on the show). Raj World is one of those four.
Raj World is Park 6. We learned this last week, when Bernard and the Delos crew went on their search for the hosts. On their way, they found a dead tiger on the shore. Stubbs mentioned that the tiger should not be there, because it was native to Park 6.
Fans of Westworld on Reddit found the phrase “Raj World” hidden in the code of Delos Destination’s website. HBO has also registered WelcomeToRajWorld.com and DiscoverRajWorld.com. These websites will likely go live any minute now.
4. Raj World Might Be Based on Rajasthan, India
HBORaj World
The idea of Raj World might be based on Rajasthan, India, which is a northern Indian state bordering Pakistan. Rajasthan has palaces and forts that are reminiscent of kingdoms tied historically to the region. The capital, Jaipur, is home to the Hawa Mahal (the Palace of Winds), and many other beautiful pieces of architecture. Rajasthan is known for national parks and wildlife sanctuaries.
5. Bengal Tigers Are Native to India, and Rajasthan Has a Tiger Sanctuary
HBORaj World Tiger
A Bengal tiger attacked Grace at the end of the Westworld intro, and this also provides more evidence for the park being the long-awaited Raj World. Bengal tigers are typically found in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and China.
Rajasthan itself is home to the Sariska Tiger Reserve. This is a national park and tiger reserve in the Alwar district. The area was originally a hunting preserve until it was declared a wildlife reserve in 1955. It became part of India’s Project Tiger in 1978. As of August 2014, there were 13 tigers in Sariska, including seven females, two males, and four cubs.
This is a developing story.