Gayatri Devi
Encyclopedia
Gayatri Devi (23 May 1919 − 29 July 2009), often styled as Maharani Gayatri Devi, Rajmata of Jaipur
, was born as Princess Gayatri Devi of Cooch Behar
. She was the third Maharani
of Jaipur
from 1939 to 1970 through her marriage to HH Maharaja
Sawai Man Singh II.
Following India's independence and the subsequent abolition of the princely state
s, she became an extremely successful politician. Gayatri Devi was also celebrated for her classical beauty and became something of a fashion icon in her adulthood. She has been counted in 'The Ten Most Beautiful Women of the World' along with actress Leela Naidu
by the Vogue Magazine.
Gayatri Devi, who was once listed among the 'World's Ten Most Beautiful Women' along with actress Leela Naidu by the Vogue, was placed sixth after Princess Grace of Monaco, Queen Rania of Jordan, the Duchess of Cambridge (Kate Middleton), Diana, Princess of Wales and Princess Charlotte of Monaco. and ahead of Princess Madeleine of Sweden, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, Princess Margaret and Princess Masako of Japan.
She died on 29 July 2009 in Jaipur, at the age of 90. She was suffering from paralytic ileus and lung infection.
, West Bengal
, was the younger brother of the Yuvraja (Crown Prince). Her mother was Princess Indira Raje
of Baroda, the only daughter of Maratha
King, Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III
, an extremely beautiful princess and a legendary socialite. Early in her life, her uncle's death led to her father ascending the throne
(gaddi). Gayatri Devi studied at Glendower Preparatory School
in London, Patha Bhavana
of Visva-Bharati University
, Shantiniketan, and later in Lausanne
, Switzerland
, where she travelled with her mother and siblings, then studied secretarial skills in London School of Secretaries; Brilliantmont and Monkey Club London.
She first met Jai (H.H. Saramad-i-Raja-i-Hindustan Raj Rajendra Sri Maharajadhiraja Sir Sawai Man Singh II of Jaipur), when she was 12 and he had come to Calcutta to play polo and stayed with their family. She married Sawai Man Singh II Bahadur on 9 May 1940.
Maharani Gayatri Devi (as she was styled after marriage) was a particularly avid equestrienne
. Maharani Gayatri was an excellent rider and an able Polo player. She was a good shot and enjoyed many days out on 'Shikars'. Her Highness was fond of cars and is credited with importing the first W126, a 500 SEL to India which was later shipped to Malaysia. Gayatri Devi had one child, Prince Jagat Singh
of Jaipur, late Raja of Isarda, born on 15 October 1949, who was granted his uncles's (father's elder brother) fief as a subsidiary title. Jagat Singh was thus half-brother to Bhawani Singh of Jaipur
.
Gayatri Devi was once included in Vogue
magazine's Ten Most Beautiful Women list.
Gayatri Devi started schools for girls' education in Jaipur, most prominent of which is the Maharani Gayatri Devi Girls’ Public School
established in 1943. She also revived and promoted the dying art of blue pottery
.she was also known as kutti(little) devi.
and Independence Day
in India
in 1947, Gayatri Devi ran for Parliament in 1962 and won the constituency in the Lok Sabha
in the world's largest landslide, winning 192,909 votes out of 246,516 cast, confirmed by the Guinness Book of Records. She continued to hold this seat on 1967 and 1971, Swatantra Party
of C. Rajagopalachari
, the second Governor-General
of Independent India, running against the Congress Party
.
When the privy purses were abolished in 1971, terminating all royal privileges and titles, Gayatri Devi was accused of violating tax laws, and served 5 months in Tihar Jail
. She retired from politics and published her autobiography, A Princess Remembers, written with Santha Rama Rau, in 1976. She was also the focus of the film Memoirs of a Hindu Princess, directed by Francois Levie.
There were rumors that she might re-enter politics as late as 1999, when the Cooch Behar Trinamool Congress nominated her as their candidate for the Lok Sabha elections, but she did not respond to the offer.
Her father Jitendra Narayan Bhup Bahadur was the second son of Maharaja Nripendra Narayan Bhup Bahadur and Maharani Sunity Devi of Cooch Behar. After the death of his elder brother Maharaja Raj Rajendra Narayan Bhup Bahadur, a bachelor, he ascended the throne of Cooch Behar in November 1913, few month's after his marriage with Princess Indira raje Gaekwad of Baroda. Maharani Sunity Devi was the daughter of illustrious Brahmo social reformer Keshab Chandra Sen.
, late Raja of Isarda(15 October 1949 - 5 February 1997), who was granted his paternal uncle's (father's elder brother) fief of Isarda as a subsidiary title. Jagat Singh was married 10 May 1978 to Mom Rajawongse Priyanandana Rangsit (b. 1952) who is the daughter of His Serene Highness Prince Piyarangsit Rangsit and Her Royal Highness Princess Vibhavadi Rangsit (née Rajani) of Thailand. The marriage produced two grandchildren:
Today, they are her only surviving descendants, and as such, have claimed to be heirs of their paternal grandmother.
Maharaj Jagat Singh was thus half-brother to Bhawani Singh of Jaipur
, the eldest son of the late Maharaja by his first wife, a Jodhpur princess.
in Bengal, and maternally of Maratha stock.
A younger sister of the Maharani, and two nieces married into the main line of princely houses.
Her eldest sister Ila Devi (1914–1945) married into the Tripura royal family; her widower later married his cousin, a daughter and sister of Maharajas of Tripura. Their father is Bharat Dev Varma
(a distant kinsman of a noted composer Rahul Dev Burman
) and their mother a Tollywood
starlet Moonmoon Sen
, herself the daughter of a famous actress
Suchitra Sen; his daughters are the Bollywood starlets - Riya Sen
(b. 1981) and Raima Sen
(b. 1979) - who are her great-nieces. Their paternal aunt, the late Devyani Devi (1938–2009, a few months before her aunt), a niece of Gayatri Devi, was the former wife of Prithviraj Singh (b. 1935), one of Gayatri Devi's stepsons. (That marriage produced one son).
(1863–1939) and his second wife Maharani Chimnabai II of Baroda. Thus, the next Maharaja Pratap Singh Gaekwad of Baroda
was her first cousin, and his heirs Fatehsinghrao, Gaekwad of Baroda (1930–1988) and the current Gaekward Ranjitsinh, Gaekwad of Baroda
(b. 1938)Sangramsinh Gaekwad were her first cousins once removed. (A Baroda princess, Priyadarshini, daughter of Sangram Sinh Gaekwad, is currently married to Jyotiraditya Scindia
, Maharaja of Gwalior, a great-grandson of the man rejected by Gayatri Devi's mother. Her brother, born 1970, is the eventual heir if the present Yuvaraj fails to produce a son).
Other relatives, also descended from her maternal grandfather Sayajirao, included the rulers of Kota
, Sawantwadi, Akkalkot
, Jath, Dewas Jr.
, Jasdan
, and Sandur
. Of these, the most significant connections are:
and Kolhapur:
Maharani Gayatri Devi was also indirectly related to the former royal families of Lunawada (a daughter of the house married her great-nephew Vijit Singh) and Baria.
Family relationships by marriage
The late Maharani had an indirect relationship with the Maharajas of Pithapuram
in Andhra Pradesh
. The daughter of a previous Maharaja, the glamorous divorcee Sita Devi
(1917–1989), was the controversial second wife of her first cousin Pratap Singh Gaekwad
) from 1943 to 1956. Another daughter Kamala Devi (1920-1980s) married Gayatri Devi's maternal uncle Indrajitendra, the second son of Maharaja Jitendra of Cooch Behar and Indira Devi
, and had issue one son and one daughter. (The daughter Uttara Devi is now Maharani of Kota
).
Through her marriage to Man Singh II, she was related to Maharaja Hanuwant Singh of Jodhpur
(1923–1952). His aunt Marudhar Kanwar and cousin Krishna Kumari (daughters of previous Maharajas) were married to Sawai Man Singh II as his first and second wives. The Maharaja's elder son Gaj Singh
(b. 1948) is the present Maharaja of Jodhpur, and as such, a first cousin once removed of Maharaj Bhawani Singh of Jaipur
; his only son Shivraj Singh is the heir apparent.
Other relatives by marriage include the Maharaja of Dewas
, and the Maharaja of Tripura
(whose kinsman married her eldest sister Ila Devi)
to Jaipur. She was admitted at Santokba Durlabhji Memorial Hospital (SDMH) on 17 July 2009. She died on 29 July 2009, reportedly due to lung failure.
Her death came a day after the passing away of actress Leela Naidu
, both of whom were named by Vogue
as amongst the 10 most beautiful women in the world. Maharani Gayatri Devi died on 29 July 2009 at the age of 90.
Jaipur
Jaipur , also popularly known as the Pink City, is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan. Founded on 18 November 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the ruler of Amber, the city today has a population of more than 3.1 million....
, was born as Princess Gayatri Devi of Cooch Behar
Cooch Behar
Cooch Behar is the district headquarters and the largest city of Cooch Behar District in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is situated in the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas and located at . Cooch Behar is the only planned town in North Bengal region with remnants of royal heritage...
. She was the third Maharani
Maharaja
Mahārāja is a Sanskrit title for a "great king" or "high king". The female equivalent title Maharani denotes either the wife of a Maharaja or, in states where that was customary, a woman ruling in her own right. The widow of a Maharaja is known as a Rajamata...
of Jaipur
Jaipur
Jaipur , also popularly known as the Pink City, is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan. Founded on 18 November 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the ruler of Amber, the city today has a population of more than 3.1 million....
from 1939 to 1970 through her marriage to HH Maharaja
Maharaja
Mahārāja is a Sanskrit title for a "great king" or "high king". The female equivalent title Maharani denotes either the wife of a Maharaja or, in states where that was customary, a woman ruling in her own right. The widow of a Maharaja is known as a Rajamata...
Sawai Man Singh II.
Following India's independence and the subsequent abolition of the princely state
Princely state
A Princely State was a nominally sovereign entitity of British rule in India that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule such as suzerainty or paramountcy.-British relationship with the Princely States:India under the British Raj ...
s, she became an extremely successful politician. Gayatri Devi was also celebrated for her classical beauty and became something of a fashion icon in her adulthood. She has been counted in 'The Ten Most Beautiful Women of the World' along with actress Leela Naidu
Leela Naidu
Leela Naidu was an Indian actress who starred in a small number of Hindi and English films, including Yeh Raaste Hain Pyaar Ke , based on the real-life Nanavati case, and The Householder, Merchant Ivory Productions' first film...
by the Vogue Magazine.
Gayatri Devi, who was once listed among the 'World's Ten Most Beautiful Women' along with actress Leela Naidu by the Vogue, was placed sixth after Princess Grace of Monaco, Queen Rania of Jordan, the Duchess of Cambridge (Kate Middleton), Diana, Princess of Wales and Princess Charlotte of Monaco. and ahead of Princess Madeleine of Sweden, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, Princess Margaret and Princess Masako of Japan.
She died on 29 July 2009 in Jaipur, at the age of 90. She was suffering from paralytic ileus and lung infection.
Early life
Ethnically Bengali her father, Prince Jitendra Narayan of Cooch BeharCooch Behar
Cooch Behar is the district headquarters and the largest city of Cooch Behar District in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is situated in the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas and located at . Cooch Behar is the only planned town in North Bengal region with remnants of royal heritage...
, West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
, was the younger brother of the Yuvraja (Crown Prince). Her mother was Princess Indira Raje
Indira of Baroda
Indira Raje of Baroda , later the Maharani of Cooch Behar, and later Her Highness the Maharani Sahiba after her son's succession, was the consort of Maharaja Jitendra of Cooch Behar and a princess of Baroda in her own right...
of Baroda, the only daughter of Maratha
Maratha
The Maratha are an Indian caste, predominantly in the state of Maharashtra. The term Marāthā has three related usages: within the Marathi speaking region it describes the dominant Maratha caste; outside Maharashtra it can refer to the entire regional population of Marathi-speaking people;...
King, Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III
Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III
165454565Sayajirao Gaekwad III was the Maharaja of Baroda State from 1875 to 1939, and is notably remembered for reforming much of his state during his rule....
, an extremely beautiful princess and a legendary socialite. Early in her life, her uncle's death led to her father ascending the throne
Throne
A throne is the official chair or seat upon which a monarch is seated on state or ceremonial occasions. "Throne" in an abstract sense can also refer to the monarchy or the Crown itself, an instance of metonymy, and is also used in many expressions such as "the power behind the...
(gaddi). Gayatri Devi studied at Glendower Preparatory School
Glendower Preparatory School
Glendower Preparatory School, started in 1895 as the Cornwall and Lloyd School, is an independent preparatory school in London.-History:Cornwall and Lloyd School was founded in 1895 by Miss Lloyd and Miss Cornwall at 103A Fulham Road...
in London, Patha Bhavana
Patha Bhavana
Patha Bhavana is an institution of primary and secondary education in Santiniketan, West Bengal, India. Founded by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore in 1901, starting with only five students, the school is characterized by its philosophy of learning with the heart in closeness to nature without...
of Visva-Bharati University
Visva-Bharati University
Visva Bharati University is a Central University for research and teaching in India, located in the twin towns of Santiniketan and Sriniketan in the Indian state of West Bengal. It was founded by Rabindranath Tagore who called it Visva Bharati, which means the communion of the world with India...
, Shantiniketan, and later in Lausanne
Lausanne
Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, where she travelled with her mother and siblings, then studied secretarial skills in London School of Secretaries; Brilliantmont and Monkey Club London.
She first met Jai (H.H. Saramad-i-Raja-i-Hindustan Raj Rajendra Sri Maharajadhiraja Sir Sawai Man Singh II of Jaipur), when she was 12 and he had come to Calcutta to play polo and stayed with their family. She married Sawai Man Singh II Bahadur on 9 May 1940.
Maharani Gayatri Devi (as she was styled after marriage) was a particularly avid equestrienne
Equestrianism
Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...
. Maharani Gayatri was an excellent rider and an able Polo player. She was a good shot and enjoyed many days out on 'Shikars'. Her Highness was fond of cars and is credited with importing the first W126, a 500 SEL to India which was later shipped to Malaysia. Gayatri Devi had one child, Prince Jagat Singh
Prince Jagat Singh
Prince Jagat Singh also known in his native state as Maharaj Jagat Singh of Jaipur , Raja of Isarda, was the fourth and youngest son of Sawai Man Singh II, last ruling Maharaja of Jaipur. He was the only child born to Maharani Gayatri Devi, third wife of the Maharaja...
of Jaipur, late Raja of Isarda, born on 15 October 1949, who was granted his uncles's (father's elder brother) fief as a subsidiary title. Jagat Singh was thus half-brother to Bhawani Singh of Jaipur
Bhawani Singh of Jaipur
Brigadier Sawai Bhawani Singh Bahadur, MVC was the Maharaja of Jaipur and head of the Kachwaha clan of Rajputs. He died at age 79 due to multi-organ failure. The title technically ended in 1971 when royal entitlements were abolished along with privy purses through a constitutional amendment...
.
Gayatri Devi was once included in Vogue
Vogue (magazine)
Vogue is a fashion and lifestyle magazine that is published monthly in 18 national and one regional edition by Condé Nast.-History:In 1892 Arthur Turnure founded Vogue as a weekly publication in the United States. When he died in 1909, Condé Montrose Nast picked up the magazine and slowly began...
magazine's Ten Most Beautiful Women list.
Gayatri Devi started schools for girls' education in Jaipur, most prominent of which is the Maharani Gayatri Devi Girls’ Public School
Maharani Gayatri Devi Girls’ Public School
Maharani Gayatri Devi Girls’ School, is located in Jaipur, India and was established by and named after Her Highness Rajmata Gayatri Devi of Jaipur...
established in 1943. She also revived and promoted the dying art of blue pottery
Blue Pottery of Jaipur
The art of making blue glaze pottery came to Rajasthan via Kashmir, their entry point into India. The name comes from the eye-catching Persian blue dye used to color the clay. The Jaipur blue pottery, made out of Egyptian paste, is glazed and low-fired. Some of this pottery is semi-transparent and...
.she was also known as kutti(little) devi.
Political career
After PartitionPartition of India
The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...
and Independence Day
Independence Day (India)
The Independence Day of India is celebrated on the fifteenth of August to commemorate its independence from British rule and its birth as a sovereign nation in 1947. The day is a national holiday in India. All over the country, flag-hoisting ceremonies are conducted by the local administration in...
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
in 1947, Gayatri Devi ran for Parliament in 1962 and won the constituency in the Lok Sabha
Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha or House of the People is the lower house of the Parliament of India. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by direct election under universal adult suffrage. As of 2009, there have been fifteen Lok Sabhas elected by the people of India...
in the world's largest landslide, winning 192,909 votes out of 246,516 cast, confirmed by the Guinness Book of Records. She continued to hold this seat on 1967 and 1971, Swatantra Party
Swatantra Party
The Swatantra Party was a classical liberal political party in India founded by Chakravarti Rajagopalachari and N. G. Ranga in August 1959. The party opposed the Nehruvian socialist outlook of the Congress Party by advocating free enterprise and free trade, and opposing the licence-permit Raj...
of C. Rajagopalachari
C. Rajagopalachari
Chakravarti Rajagopalachari , informally called Rajaji or C.R., was an Indian lawyer, independence activist, politician, writer and statesman. Rajagopalachari was the last Governor-General of India...
, the second Governor-General
Governor-General of India
The Governor-General of India was the head of the British administration in India, and later, after Indian independence, the representative of the monarch and de facto head of state. The office was created in 1773, with the title of Governor-General of the Presidency of Fort William...
of Independent India, running against the Congress Party
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
.
When the privy purses were abolished in 1971, terminating all royal privileges and titles, Gayatri Devi was accused of violating tax laws, and served 5 months in Tihar Jail
Tihar Jail
Tihar Prisons , also called Tihar Jail and Tihar Ashram , is the largest complex of prisons in South Asia. It is located at Tihar village, approximately 7 km from Chanakya Puri, to the west of New Delhi, India. The surrounding area is called Hari Nagar.The prison is maintained as a...
. She retired from politics and published her autobiography, A Princess Remembers, written with Santha Rama Rau, in 1976. She was also the focus of the film Memoirs of a Hindu Princess, directed by Francois Levie.
There were rumors that she might re-enter politics as late as 1999, when the Cooch Behar Trinamool Congress nominated her as their candidate for the Lok Sabha elections, but she did not respond to the offer.
Her father Jitendra Narayan Bhup Bahadur was the second son of Maharaja Nripendra Narayan Bhup Bahadur and Maharani Sunity Devi of Cooch Behar. After the death of his elder brother Maharaja Raj Rajendra Narayan Bhup Bahadur, a bachelor, he ascended the throne of Cooch Behar in November 1913, few month's after his marriage with Princess Indira raje Gaekwad of Baroda. Maharani Sunity Devi was the daughter of illustrious Brahmo social reformer Keshab Chandra Sen.
Family
She had one son, Prince Jagat SinghPrince Jagat Singh
Prince Jagat Singh also known in his native state as Maharaj Jagat Singh of Jaipur , Raja of Isarda, was the fourth and youngest son of Sawai Man Singh II, last ruling Maharaja of Jaipur. He was the only child born to Maharani Gayatri Devi, third wife of the Maharaja...
, late Raja of Isarda(15 October 1949 - 5 February 1997), who was granted his paternal uncle's (father's elder brother) fief of Isarda as a subsidiary title. Jagat Singh was married 10 May 1978 to Mom Rajawongse Priyanandana Rangsit (b. 1952) who is the daughter of His Serene Highness Prince Piyarangsit Rangsit and Her Royal Highness Princess Vibhavadi Rangsit (née Rajani) of Thailand. The marriage produced two grandchildren:
- Rajkumari Lalitya Kumari (b. 1979)
- Maharaj Devraj Singh, now Raja of Isarda (b. 1981)
Today, they are her only surviving descendants, and as such, have claimed to be heirs of their paternal grandmother.
Maharaj Jagat Singh was thus half-brother to Bhawani Singh of Jaipur
Bhawani Singh of Jaipur
Brigadier Sawai Bhawani Singh Bahadur, MVC was the Maharaja of Jaipur and head of the Kachwaha clan of Rajputs. He died at age 79 due to multi-organ failure. The title technically ended in 1971 when royal entitlements were abolished along with privy purses through a constitutional amendment...
, the eldest son of the late Maharaja by his first wife, a Jodhpur princess.
Jaipur
The Maharani had three stepsons through her husband's first and second marriages, of whom the eldest is the present Maharaja of Jaipur, who has an only daughter (whose son Kumar Padmanabh Singh has been adopted the next heir, somewhat contrary to the tradition and customs of Jaipur, where a sonless Maharaja almost always adopted a son from the next line patrilineally junior to him, or next in succession). His younger half-brothers were given family fiefs, and have one son each. One of the stepsons, Prithviraj Singh (b. 1935), married the Maharani's niece (see below) in 1961 (later divorced) and had a son Vijit Singh (married in 1991 to a princess of Lunawada) with her.Cooch Behar and Tripura
Maharani Gayatri Devi was related to several other erstwhile royal families in India. She was herself not from Rajput royalty, but from a dynasty native to Koch BiharKoch Bihar
Koch Bihar was a small kingdom located south of the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, west of the upper Brahmaputra valley Ahom kingdom, and north-east of the Ganges plain and Bengal. It was formed when the Kamata Kingdom under the Koch dynasty split following the death of Nara Narayan in 1586. The...
in Bengal, and maternally of Maratha stock.
A younger sister of the Maharani, and two nieces married into the main line of princely houses.
- KotaKota, RajasthanKota , formerly known as Kotah, is a city in the northern Indian state of Rajasthan. It is located south of state capital, Jaipur. Situated on the banks of Chambal River, the city is the trade centre for an area in which millet, wheat, rice, pulses, coriander and oilseeds are grown; industries...
a princely state in RajasthanRajasthanRājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
(princely family genealogy) married to Uttara, a princess of Cooch Behar, as his second wife in 1963). The Maharani of Kota (b. 1942), a niece of the late Maharani Gayatri Devi, has one son (married, with one son), and one daughter (Bhawani Kumari) married 1991 to the son and heir of the Maharaja of Burdwan, a notable zemindar, with issue two daughters. They are great-nephew and great-niece of the late Maharani. - Dewas Jr.DewasDewas is an ancient town situated on the Malwa plateau in the West-central part of Indian state called Madhya Pradesh, about 160 km south west from state capital, Bhopal. It is the administrative center of the Dewas District, and was formerly the seat of two princely states during the British...
(princely family genealogy), whose ruler married Menaka Devi (b. 1920), youngest sister of the Maharani, and had issue 2 daughters. The elder daughter (b. 1950) married the late Raja of Payagpur (d. 2005), and had issue, one son the present Raja, who married in 2006. The Raja of Payagpur is thus a great-nephew, and the Rajmata a niece of the late Maharani.
Her eldest sister Ila Devi (1914–1945) married into the Tripura royal family; her widower later married his cousin, a daughter and sister of Maharajas of Tripura. Their father is Bharat Dev Varma
Bharat Dev Varma
Bharat Dev Varma is a minor Tripuri royal, currently living in the city of Kolkata, formerly Calcutta....
(a distant kinsman of a noted composer Rahul Dev Burman
Rahul Dev Burman
Rahul Dev Burman commonly known as R. D. Burman and nicknamed Pancham da or simply Pancham, was an influential Bollywood music composer. He was the only son of singer and Bollywood music composer Sachin Dev Burman and his wife Meera...
) and their mother a Tollywood
Cinema of West Bengal
The cinema of West Bengal refers to the Tollygunge-based Bengali film industry in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. The origins of the nickname Tollywood, a portmanteau of the words Tollygunge and Hollywood, dates back to 1932...
starlet Moonmoon Sen
Moonmoon Sen
Moon Moon Sen is an Indian film actress. She did movies in Bengali, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Marathi and Kannada films. Sen is part of a three generational family of actors and was a staple of the Bengali film industry, starring in many hit films...
, herself the daughter of a famous actress
Suchitra Sen
Suchitra Sen ; or Rama Dasgupta , is an Indian actress who acted in several Bengali films. In particular, the movies in which she paired opposite another legend in Bengali films, Uttam Kumar, became classics in the history of Bengali cinema. She now lives a life of a recluse rarely making any...
Suchitra Sen; his daughters are the Bollywood starlets - Riya Sen
Riya Sen
Riya Sen is an Indian film actress and model. Riya, who hails from a family of actors including her grandmother Suchitra Sen, mother Moon Moon Sen and sister Raima Sen, began her acting career in 1991 as a child artiste in the film Vishkanya. Her first commercial success in her film career was...
(b. 1981) and Raima Sen
Raima Sen
-Early life:She is the daughter of Moon Moon Sen and the granddaughter of legendary actress Suchitra Sen. Her sister, Riya Sen, is also in the Bollywood industry. Their father Bharat Dev Varma is a member of the royal family of Tripura. Her paternal grandmother, Ila Devi, was the princess of Cooch...
(b. 1979) - who are her great-nieces. Their paternal aunt, the late Devyani Devi (1938–2009, a few months before her aunt), a niece of Gayatri Devi, was the former wife of Prithviraj Singh (b. 1935), one of Gayatri Devi's stepsons. (That marriage produced one son).
Baroda and descendants houses
The most significant royal connections are through Baroda. Her maternal grandparents were the remarkable Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad IIIMaharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III
165454565Sayajirao Gaekwad III was the Maharaja of Baroda State from 1875 to 1939, and is notably remembered for reforming much of his state during his rule....
(1863–1939) and his second wife Maharani Chimnabai II of Baroda. Thus, the next Maharaja Pratap Singh Gaekwad of Baroda
Pratap Singh Gaekwad of Baroda
Maharaja Pratap Singh Gaekwad was a Maharaja of Baroda who succeeded his grandfather Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III at his death in 1939. He ruled for a period of twelve years, from 1939 to 1951, when he was deposed by the Government of India and exiled to England...
was her first cousin, and his heirs Fatehsinghrao, Gaekwad of Baroda (1930–1988) and the current Gaekward Ranjitsinh, Gaekwad of Baroda
Ranjitsinh Pratapsinh Gaekwad
Ranjitsinghrao Gaekwad, is the younger brother of Fatehsinghrao Gaekwad. After Fatehsingrao Gaekwad died in the Breach Candy Hospital in Bombay on 1 September 1988 at the age of 50, he was succeeded as Maharaja of Baroda by his younger brother, Ranjitsinghrao Gaekwad, the current Maharaja of...
(b. 1938)Sangramsinh Gaekwad were her first cousins once removed. (A Baroda princess, Priyadarshini, daughter of Sangram Sinh Gaekwad, is currently married to Jyotiraditya Scindia
Jyotiraditya Madhavrao Scindia
Maharaja Jyotiraditya Madhavrao Scindia is an Indian politician belonging to the Indian National Congress. He is also a member of the 15th Lok Sabha of India representing the Congress party and a Minister of State, Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Mr...
, Maharaja of Gwalior, a great-grandson of the man rejected by Gayatri Devi's mother. Her brother, born 1970, is the eventual heir if the present Yuvaraj fails to produce a son).
Other relatives, also descended from her maternal grandfather Sayajirao, included the rulers of Kota
Kota, Rajasthan
Kota , formerly known as Kotah, is a city in the northern Indian state of Rajasthan. It is located south of state capital, Jaipur. Situated on the banks of Chambal River, the city is the trade centre for an area in which millet, wheat, rice, pulses, coriander and oilseeds are grown; industries...
, Sawantwadi, Akkalkot
Akkalkot
Akkalkot |ಅಕ್ಕಲಕೋಟೆ is a city and a municipal council in Solapur district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is situated 40 km southeast of Solapur and very close to the border between Maharashtra and Karnataka states...
, Jath, Dewas Jr.
Dewas
Dewas is an ancient town situated on the Malwa plateau in the West-central part of Indian state called Madhya Pradesh, about 160 km south west from state capital, Bhopal. It is the administrative center of the Dewas District, and was formerly the seat of two princely states during the British...
, Jasdan
Jasdan
Jasdan is a city and a municipality in Rajkot district in the Indian state of Gujarat.-Geography:Jasdan is located at . It has an average elevation of 193 metres . Ghela Somnath Temple is situated in Jasdan.Jasdan is the biggest Taluka in Rajkot district and has 102 villages.-Demographics:...
, and Sandur
Sandur
A sandur is a glacial outwash plain formed of sediments deposited by meltwater at the terminus of a glacier.- Formation :Sandar are found in glaciated areas, such as Svalbard, Kerguelen Islands, and Iceland...
. Of these, the most significant connections are:
- Sawantwadi, a 9-gun-salute princely state in Bombay, now part of MaharashtraMaharashtraMaharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
(princely family genealogy) linked by three marriages to Baroda princesses: firstly, Tarabai, the daughter of the Maharaja prior to her maternal grandmother married the ruler in 1899. Secondly, Laxmibai (1907–1961) a cousin of Gayatri Devi also married another Maharaja in 1922, with issue one daughter. The present Maharaja is the son of the third marriage, of the late Maharaja to the second daughter (b. circa 1935) of Pratap Singh Gaekwad of BarodaPratap Singh Gaekwad of BarodaMaharaja Pratap Singh Gaekwad was a Maharaja of Baroda who succeeded his grandfather Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III at his death in 1939. He ruled for a period of twelve years, from 1939 to 1951, when he was deposed by the Government of India and exiled to England...
. - JasdanJasdanJasdan is a city and a municipality in Rajkot district in the Indian state of Gujarat.-Geography:Jasdan is located at . It has an average elevation of 193 metres . Ghela Somnath Temple is situated in Jasdan.Jasdan is the biggest Taluka in Rajkot district and has 102 villages.-Demographics:...
, a tiny princely state in Saurashtra (princely family genealogy); the present ruler, 11th Chief of Jasdan, and his father the 10th Chief (d. 1989) married two Baroda princesses. The 11th Chief married his cousin, a daughter of the present head of the Baroda house). His sister (b. 1955) is named for the late Maharani.
Other connections
More tenuous connections exist to DharDhar
Dhār is located in the Malwa region of western Madhya Pradesh state in central India. It is the administrative headquarters of Dhar District. The town is located west of Mhow, above sea level...
and Kolhapur:
- Tehri-Garhwal, an 11-gun-salute princely state in UttarakhandUttarakhandUttarakhand , formerly Uttaranchal, is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the Land of Gods due to the many holy Hindu temples and cities found throughout the state, some of which are among Hinduism's most spiritual and auspicious places of pilgrimage and worship...
(princely family genealogy), where a cadet married a Baroda princess, and has issue. - DharDharDhār is located in the Malwa region of western Madhya Pradesh state in central India. It is the administrative headquarters of Dhar District. The town is located west of Mhow, above sea level...
, a 15-gun salute Maratha princely state in Madhya PradeshMadhya PradeshMadhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
(princely family genealogy): the late Maharaja (1920–1989) was married to in 1951 and divorced (date unknown) from a living Baroda princess, without issue. - Kolhapur, one of the two Maratha princely states descended from Shivaji (princely family genealogy): a previous Maharaja (d. 1940) married as his first wife a cousin of the late Maharani in April 1918, but apparently had no issue with her. (He had a daughter by his second wife). His wife Indumati Devi (1904–1954) apparently had no issue.
Maharani Gayatri Devi was also indirectly related to the former royal families of Lunawada (a daughter of the house married her great-nephew Vijit Singh) and Baria.
Family relationships by marriage
The late Maharani had an indirect relationship with the Maharajas of Pithapuram
Pithapuram
For famous Playback singer see Pithapuram Nageswara RaoPithapuram is a town and a municipality in East Godavari district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh....
in Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
. The daughter of a previous Maharaja, the glamorous divorcee Sita Devi
Sita Devi of Baroda
Maharani Sita Devi Sahib of Baroda, born May 12, 1917 in Madras, India, died February 15, 1989 in Paris, France. She was known as the “Indian Wallis Simpson. She was a colorful lady who led an extravagant life for over 40 years and was a member of the international jet set...
(1917–1989), was the controversial second wife of her first cousin Pratap Singh Gaekwad
Pratap Singh Gaekwad of Baroda
Maharaja Pratap Singh Gaekwad was a Maharaja of Baroda who succeeded his grandfather Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III at his death in 1939. He ruled for a period of twelve years, from 1939 to 1951, when he was deposed by the Government of India and exiled to England...
) from 1943 to 1956. Another daughter Kamala Devi (1920-1980s) married Gayatri Devi's maternal uncle Indrajitendra, the second son of Maharaja Jitendra of Cooch Behar and Indira Devi
Indira of Baroda
Indira Raje of Baroda , later the Maharani of Cooch Behar, and later Her Highness the Maharani Sahiba after her son's succession, was the consort of Maharaja Jitendra of Cooch Behar and a princess of Baroda in her own right...
, and had issue one son and one daughter. (The daughter Uttara Devi is now Maharani of Kota
Kota, Rajasthan
Kota , formerly known as Kotah, is a city in the northern Indian state of Rajasthan. It is located south of state capital, Jaipur. Situated on the banks of Chambal River, the city is the trade centre for an area in which millet, wheat, rice, pulses, coriander and oilseeds are grown; industries...
).
Through her marriage to Man Singh II, she was related to Maharaja Hanuwant Singh of Jodhpur
Jodhpur
Jodhpur , is the second largest city in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is located west from the state capital, Jaipur and from the city of Ajmer. It was formerly the seat of a princely state of the same name, the capital of the kingdom known as Marwar...
(1923–1952). His aunt Marudhar Kanwar and cousin Krishna Kumari (daughters of previous Maharajas) were married to Sawai Man Singh II as his first and second wives. The Maharaja's elder son Gaj Singh
Gaj Singh, Maharaja of Jodhpur
Gaj Singh is a former member of the Indian parliament and a former High Commissioner of India. He was the Maharaja of Jodhpur from 1952 until the royal powers, privileges and privy purses were abolished by an amendment to the Constitution of India in 1971. -Early years...
(b. 1948) is the present Maharaja of Jodhpur, and as such, a first cousin once removed of Maharaj Bhawani Singh of Jaipur
Bhawani Singh of Jaipur
Brigadier Sawai Bhawani Singh Bahadur, MVC was the Maharaja of Jaipur and head of the Kachwaha clan of Rajputs. He died at age 79 due to multi-organ failure. The title technically ended in 1971 when royal entitlements were abolished along with privy purses through a constitutional amendment...
; his only son Shivraj Singh is the heir apparent.
Other relatives by marriage include the Maharaja of Dewas
Dewas
Dewas is an ancient town situated on the Malwa plateau in the West-central part of Indian state called Madhya Pradesh, about 160 km south west from state capital, Bhopal. It is the administrative center of the Dewas District, and was formerly the seat of two princely states during the British...
, and the Maharaja of Tripura
Tripura
Tripura is a state in North-East India, with an area of . It is the third smallest state of India, according to area. Tripura is surrounded by Bangladesh on the north, south, and west. The Indian states of Assam and Mizoram lie to the east. The capital is Agartala and the main languages spoken are...
(whose kinsman married her eldest sister Ila Devi)
Death
The Maharani developed gastric problems in London and was admitted to a hospital there. She was being treated for gastric disorder at the King Edward’s Hospital in London and had expressed her desire to return to Jaipur. Gayatri Devi was flown in an air ambulanceAir ambulance
An air ambulance is an aircraft used for emergency medical assistance in situations where either a traditional ambulance cannot reach the scene easily or quickly enough, or the patient needs to be transported over a distance or terrain that makes air transportation the most practical transport....
to Jaipur. She was admitted at Santokba Durlabhji Memorial Hospital (SDMH) on 17 July 2009. She died on 29 July 2009, reportedly due to lung failure.
Her death came a day after the passing away of actress Leela Naidu
Leela Naidu
Leela Naidu was an Indian actress who starred in a small number of Hindi and English films, including Yeh Raaste Hain Pyaar Ke , based on the real-life Nanavati case, and The Householder, Merchant Ivory Productions' first film...
, both of whom were named by Vogue
Vogue (magazine)
Vogue is a fashion and lifestyle magazine that is published monthly in 18 national and one regional edition by Condé Nast.-History:In 1892 Arthur Turnure founded Vogue as a weekly publication in the United States. When he died in 1909, Condé Montrose Nast picked up the magazine and slowly began...
as amongst the 10 most beautiful women in the world. Maharani Gayatri Devi died on 29 July 2009 at the age of 90.
Further reading
- A Princess Remembers: The Memoirs of the Maharani of Jaipur, by Gayatri Devi. South Asia Books, 1996. ISBN 81-7167-307-4.
- Rajmata Gayatri Devi, by Dharmendar Kanwar. Roli Books, 2004. ISBN 81-7436-294-0.
- Gourmet's Gateway: A Royal Collection, by Gayatri Devi, Dharmendar Kanwar. Published by Dharmendar Kanwar, 1999. ISBN 81-901221-0-X. Sure she was legendary.
- Maharanis by Lucy Moore Published 2006 by Penguin ISBN 978-0-14-303704-0
External links
- The Maharani's Family - Images and Family history
- Henry Soszynski. Cooch Behar ruling family apparently extinct in 1992.
- Website of the MGD Girls School
- The Maharani's Death
- Rajmata Gayatri Devi - Daily Telegraph obituary
- Rediff article - Memoir by her ghost-writer