Rakhi, the first major Hindu festival to land in the midst of a pandemic, is also special within the royal circles. Many families are getting set to celebrate the day amongst each other. Here is saluting three of the most iconic siblings of royal India:
MAHARAJA YADUVEER CHAMARAJA WADIYAR OF MYSORE AND YUVRANI JAYATHMIKA LAKSHMI OF SAILANA
A quiet, dignified Maharaja, Yaduveer was made the twenty-seventh head of the erstwhile ruling family of Mysore and also the head of the Wadiyar dynasty. A graduate in English literature and Economics from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, he helms the Mysore Palace, possibly the most richly endowed palace of India and spends a lot of his time in conservation and restoration.
A truly caring brother to his sister, Jayathmika Lakshmi, he gave a fairy tale wedding to her recently as she tied the knot with Yuvraj Divyaraj Singh, the scion of the Sailana, a princely state in Ratlam that is often called the “Cooking royalty”. Given that the most legendary book on royal cuisine Cooking Delights of the Maharajas was written by their ancestor Maharaja Digvijay Singh. Meanwhile, Jayathmika, a graduate from London School of Fashion, is writing for journals across the globe.
MAHARAJA PADMANABH SINGH AND PRINCESS GAURAVI KUMARI OF JAIPUR
He is possibly India’s most iconic royal, celebrated the world over. A polo player, a fashion icon and a symbol of princely India’s grandeur, he has made it to every cover of lifestyle magazines across the globe. Adopted and crowned by his grandfather, the late Col Maharaja BhawaniSinghji of Jaipur, he and his sister, a demure, quiet girl, share a great camaraderie.
Made evident when they both were invited by the 25th Le Bal des Débutantes in Paris to represent the nation. While Padmanabh debuted with the daughter of Reese Witherspoon, Ava Phillipe; Gauravi debuted with the Prince of Luxemburg. She is currently studying at the University of New York.
PRINCE MARTAND SINGH AND PRINCESS MRIGANKA DEVI OF JAMMU AND KASHMIR
The grandchildren of the intellectual Maharaja, Dr Karan Singh, Martand Singh and Mriganka Kumari are truly accomplished young Indians who are pursuing their careers with deep conviction. Martand, a newly minted lawyer with interests in constitutional and international law, works closely with his father Yuvraaj Vikramaditya Singh, a leader of the Congress from Kashmir. Mriganka, a graphic design graduate from Raffles University, Singapore, and a polo player and champion, now lives with her in-laws in Chandigarh. Her husband, Nirvaan Singh, grandson of Captain Amarinder Singh, handles his grandfather’s political career.