Read Book Online : http://www.archive.org/stream/maharanithestory008151mbp#page/n7/mode/2up

Download pdf Book : http://ia700204.us.archive.org/6/items/maharanithestory008151mbp/maharanithestory008151mbp.pdf

The photograph here is of HH Maharani Indira Devi of Cooch Behar

This is one of the most celebrated paintings of a Maharani ever. I am fortunate to have seen the original and believe me it just leaves you spellbound. Not only was princess Indira Devi of Baroda (later maharani of Cooch Behar )devastatingly beautiful but she was a rather headstrong girl even at her young age. Her refusal to marry the heir apparent of Gwalior and calling off the engagement was a very bold step in 1910 when most Indian princesses dutifully married the grooms chosen for them by their parents.She instead chose to marry the younger brother of the heir apparent of Cooch Behar.It was her luck or that or her husband that the heir apparent passed away and she eventually became the Maharani. She and princess Brinda of Kapurthala changed the way Indian female royalty dressed forever.Side parted shoulder length hair with diamond studs, a pearl string and French chiffon became the signature royal attire for all Indian royalty and Rajput nobility and stands unchanged even after a hundred years since she first popularised it. French chiffon fabric was never manufactured as wide as could be draped as a sari she was the first one to specially place an order and ever since the French looms have been churning out chiffons in floral prints for an ever growing market in India and even among the Indian diaspora spread world-wide. Here she is wearing the chiffon the Marathi way. She was later to be a dowager widow who ruled Cooch Behar efficiently. An excellent shot and a socialite, she was a regular at Monte Carlo and London and was immensely popular for her parties in Europe, Calcutta and Darjeeling.As luck would have it she is also remembered as a mother of Maharani Gayatri Devi of Jaipur who like her was also a style icon par excellence.

The late Rajmata Gayatri Devi's mother.

Thanks to Amita Roy...who brought the error to our notice right away. This picture is indeed of Maharani Indira Devi of Baroda.

No Subbiah it is of princess Indira Devi of Baroda later Maharani of Cooch Behar.

Ah...forgive my ignorance on all issues Royal again ! : )

Rajmata Gayatri Devi was quite a sensation in her time. All these people were so privleged to lead such lives when the country was in the midst of such great poverty and turmoil...french chiffon..yeah sure why not :))

what a beautiful painting. who painted it rbsi?

The TV Presenter Arati Gandhi reads an extract of this book and discusses about Princess Brinda on this NDTV show - Royal Reservations (at around 15.10 of the video) : At at Summer Palace in Shimla http://goodtimes.ndtv.com/video/video.aspx?id=176478&cp

IIRC, the portrait is by Giovanni Boldini, and was considered very "advanced" when it was painted because it shows one of her feet bare over the sandal and the other tucked under her.

About ruling Coochbehar efficiently, there is a huge doubt....... As a young attractive widow in England and the mother of minor princes andprincesses, she was seen to be squandering state funds on the excesses of life.......... the then secretary of State for the Government of India pressurised her through his offices to return to India and restrain her ways..........

As far as princess brinda, she resembles too much like maharani indira devi with drooping poker face. No wonder both were close friends. Princess brinda very well knew about secret courtship between indira devi and prince of cooch behar.

Honestly, i am yet to see a photograph of maharani indira with a side parted shoulder length hair style.

Also apart frm wrong picture, book title too seems to be wrong. Itr, "MAHARANI, memoirs of a rebellious princess".

She had design genius nohow, even in the matter of genes.

she had a small real tortoise studded with diamonds and emeralds as a good luck charm for those poker parties.

anyway, brinda and indira were both rebel princesses in their day

Wish I was there during their time.