Palace of Clouds Read online

  The first Rajasthani royal I met as a child of fourteen was Maharaja Karni Singh of Bikaner. But it was also the last of the great kingdoms I visited. What a loss!

  The first meetings are always most impressionable and etched forever on our childhood memories. The portly Maharaja, my sportive mother, and me once played a threesome on the Delhi Golf Course. I had never met a man who spoke with such kindness and humility. “Caddie-ji, will you share half a Coca Cola with me”, he asked as he poured out a half into a glass and offered it, while he drank directly from the half empty bottle. Then much later, even at a simple dinner at our Nizamuddin home, when he talked politics of how Indira Gandhi had let down her upbringing and breached many a trust in misusing his crucial ‘independent’ vote, there was magnanimity and grace in all he said. That was also when I was introduced to Princess Rajyashree Kumari but was totally intimidated to think she was a brilliant shot when I had never yet held a gun!

  When I grew up, studied history and got into Shekhavati, Jaipur, the whimsicalities of Gayatri Devi, the battles and arrogance of Udaipur, the eccentricities of Kotah, the struggles and successes of Jodhpur and all the nineteen gun salute kingdoms I explored to research, photograph and write about, Bikaner was never to happen. One hundred and twenty villages of Shekhavati now lie in the Churu-Bikaner area, but I had unfortunately kept to the boundaries of my research.

  We met a few times at 44, Amrita Shergil Marg, when he presented me books, and I corresponded with him, never to get an answer! This seemed so unlike him.

  Suddenly, when ITC got me to consult with them, the wonderful Noni Chawla asked me to accompany him to Bikaner to negotiate the Gajner Palace from the same Maharaja who now stood more real before his palaces talking golf, cameras and guns. His modesty had not escaped him. Now the stories of his being weighed in treasures for his birthday – and the subsequent charities took real shape. He drove us in his little Fiat from Lallgarh to Gajner with the chauffeur and me at the back. The custom-made limousines stood in the museum. He talked spiritedly about the past, wishing the people whom we passed. We stood on the deck where ducks and geese flocked in the distance and where bags of game once arrived with the Viceregal parties. The sun began to set and I realized that the grand old man had somewhat retreated into his shell. Unfortunately, we hadn’t yet been so Japonified to photograph and record all things important – and inane. The Kodak/Ilford films came from abroad and were developed in Bombay at some cost.

  We returned to what would be called a Maharaja dinner past game trophies and interminable rooms, furniture and art to be seated on a side able by the banqueting one. I talked of my letters to Karni Singh-ji, in response to my reading of his books. Yes, of course he had got my correspondence and responded immediately. But only recently he had discovered that his alcoholic secretary Mr. Venu Gopal, had been drinking away the stamp money and just dumping his letters in a dustbin. What a private and archival loss to have never read those words or what they said about the changing times in the hand of a legend. These, the Maharaja told me were dictated because his hands had an allergy to paper. He even needed someone from his retinue to turn the pages of the books he read – a very royal malady!

  But there is certainly poetic justice somewhere in history as New Delhi’s literati, glitterati, and chatterati drive into Bikaner House every other day to see the best that happens in India’s capital. The Annals of Bikaner enter a new posterity as in the golden days of Maharaja Ganga Singh who stole the show wherever he went.

  Aman Nath – Writer, Hotelier and Architectural restorer

  Author of: Arts & Crafts of Rajasthan – 1997, Jaipur:

  The Last Destination – 2006

  * * *

  “Though Rajasthan’s history goes back several centuries and boasts of a heritage as rich as its landscape, Bikaner is still an un-spoilt and largely unexplored desert city that has played a notable role in the history of the country. For Aldous Huxley, the great author and philosopher, the fascinating architectural wealth – the quaint red sandstone palaces and interesting palatial havelies were the pride of Bikaner. Princess Rajyashree Kumari is a custodian of this city’s rich legacy and has made every effort possible to preserve the city’s architectural heritage and keep its history alive through her wonderful books. Her books show readers another side of this fascinating region.”

  Dharmendra Kanwar:Wirter & Heritage Conservationist

  Author of: The Last Queen of Jaipur – 2011,

  Rambagh Palace, Jaipur – 2013

  * * *

  “Rajyashree Kumari brings together the rich narratives of the history, culture and traditions of Bikaner in a seminal book. Once a shooting champion and youngest recipient of the Arjuna Award, today she stewards the preservation of her heritage, establishing a museum, an archives, conserving Junagadh Fort and Lalgarh Palace, while managing the charities and trusts set up by her father and grandfather. More than just preservation, Rajyashree has invested in documenting her heritage for future generations. For one who has by her own admission, the luxury of living life on her own terms, she has remained deeply immersed in the protection of her heritage and the book gives a vital insight into this.”

  Amita Baig: Wirter & Heritage Conservationist

  Author of: Forts & Palaces of India – 2012

  * * *

  When Princess Rajyashree invited us to her birthday celebrations at the Lallgarh ace, we were awed and charmed, both by the imposing palace and Rajyashree s warmth and eloquence. She regaled us with anecdotes about her family, but through those stories the pride she felt in her ancestry and the commitment she has to preserving and nurturing the legacy she has inherited, shone through.

  That Rajyashree was a great raconteur was evident in the books, The Lallgarh Palace: Home of the Maharajas of Bikaner and The Maharajas of Bikaner. While these two books offered glimpses into the lives of five generations of the Bikaner royal family, and their contribution to the desert kingdom over centuries, her latest offering, The Palace of Clouds or Badal Mahal, brings to life the culture and traditions of a Rajput family, based naturally, on her own experiences. The proud inheritor of the illustrious Bikaner dynasty, Rajyashree ‘gives to airy nothing, a local habitation and a name.’

  This is from Shakespeare, A midsummer night’s dream I thought it would be appropriate because it is called a palace of clouds, but it is about a culturally and tradition bound rooted place.

  Neelima Chopra: Professional – Hospitality

  Marketing & Branding

  * * *

  I was delighted when Princess Rajyashree Kumari of Bikaner requested me to pen a few words as a forward to her new book “Palace of Clouds”

  I have had the great pleasure of enjoying two of the books previously authored by her, both beautifully presented, “The Lalgarh Palace-home of the Maharajas of Bikaner” and the wondrously bound “Maharajas of Bikaner”, both of them a fluid and facinating read, the latter, condensing thousands of years of often turbulent and always facinating, history, into an absorbable number of pages.

  Princess Rajyashree’s prowess in the field of competitive shooting has been exceptional. There is a beautiful photograph of hers alongside that of her illustrious Father, the Late HH Maharaja Dr.Karni Singh of Bikaner, adorning the entrance to Delhi’s finest shooting range, which bear’s his name. His Highness was not only an exemplary world class shot, but his record of being an Independant Member of Parliament for Twenty five years has yet to be surpassed.

  A charming affable, kind and gentle person full of enthusiasm and drive, one could not help but be drawn to him on account of his cheerful aura.

  I know he had a special affinity with Princess Rajyashree not just on account of her gifts as a formidable shot
since the age of seven—but because he found in her the capacity to shoulder very heavy responsibilities for the Family in the future. Therefore, when she came of age, she had been appointed Chairman of several important Trusts ranging from the care and maintenance of historical forts, palaces and cenotaphs belonging to the Bikaner Royal Family, but also the onerous responsibility of heading vast Public Charitable Trusts, created by the Family and to see that the aims and objects of the Trusts are scrupulously adhered to.

  A capacity of endurance, perseverance, responsibility, accuracy were obviously the qualities of a gifted child, who submitted to rigorous training in order to achieve accolades on the shooting range right through her growing years.

  As a young woman she plunged herself into participating in serious causes such as the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), the setting up of the Sadul Museum at the Lallgarh Palace in Bikaner, the restoration of the Lallgarh Palace Hotel, and the publication of books which illuminate the achievements of illustrious ancestors. Clearly Princess Rajyashree is devotedly committed to preserving and protecting an extraordinary lineage and a unique inheritance, of which she is justly proud.

  Her recent addition, “Palace of Clouds” will bring delight to those who find the history of a proud and distinguished Rajput clan, fascinating.

  I wish her every success in her endeavour to do so.

  Gita Devi of Kapurthala : Maharani of Kapurthala

  * * *

  What drew me to Princess Rajyashree Kumari of Bikaner must have been ordained... our two Great Grand Father’s being the closest of friends with mutual affection and regard for each other.

  The Princess’s industrious effort to keep alive the heroic annals of her Family, her clan, the glorious reigns of many distinguished ancestors, including, closer to our times, the fascinating HH Maharaja Sahib Sree Ganga Singhji, her Great Grandfather, together with the extraordinary achievements of her own much loved Father... moved to create a bond of sorts between us. The admiration and respect I felt for her effort touched me deeply. It struck a deep cord, for I too have tried to resurrect the extraordinary story of a great ancestor, spiritual and temporal leader of Sikh clans in the most turbulent times of the 16th centur, a hero without match, a commander in the field who knew no fear. The great Sardar Jassa Singh Ahluwalia... and after him, the beloved Great Grandfather I never knew, a man of intelligence, fine taste, ever interested to know more, a world traveller, his intriguing dairies filled with readable accounts of a world lost to us... and then I discovered the great bond between these two sovereigns who called each other, “brother”, who visited each other’s States often, who conferred and leaned on each other for advice.

  Through Princess Rajyashree’s incessant efforts to preserve and protect her heritage, she has also preserved and protected a vast store of knowledge with regard to Bikaner, its rulers, its habits and customs.

  Although all that era has vanished, the tradition of courtesy towards each other and interest in each others stories will always remain.

  I congratulate the Princess for her fine work. May it lead to greater interest and greater success in her effort to illuminate the velour of her Ancestors and the special uniqueness of Bikaner.

  Tikka Shatrujit Singh: chief representative in Asia for French multinational LVMH ( Moet-Hennessy-Louis Vuitton) and advisor to the chairman of Louis Vuitton

  * * *

  Rajyashree Kumari of Bikaner is that insider we can count on to give us the unvarnished truth about what it really means to grow up royal. Her subjective telling of her forefathers’ histories has made us understand medieval warriors as men on a mission, statesman Maharajahs as only human and coronation disputes as family politics. Her deep respect for Bikaner’s princely legacy accompany her progressive views as a forward thinking woman of today who never shies away from saying it like it is.

  With her passion for taking care of family heirlooms be they art, bound volumes of Maharaja Ganga Singhji’s public works, or banquet menus sampled by Raj-era who’s who, she invites us to keenly look at history to see how we can do things better ( and more stylishly) today. Meticulous, generous and never short on style, Rajyashree Kumari is like her royal family – glamorous, pragmatic and trail blazing. An autobiography by her becomes a Princess diary for our times.

  Amrita Gandhi: Author, Television Anchor & Script writer

  Author of: Live like a Maharaja:

  How to turn your house into a palace – 2014

  * * *

  Despite being surrounded by a forbiddingly harsh desert terrain, and somewhat cut-off from many tracts of India, the kingdom of Bikaner remained central to the story of India through the 500 or so years of its existence. Trade and travel routes through Bikaner linked western, eastern, central, northern and southern parts of India, while its kings, warriors, artists, artisans, poets, scholars and camel-breeders won acclaim far beyond the borders of their land. The twentieth century brought Bikaner centre-stage afresh under Maharaja Ganga Singhji, Princess Rajyashree Kumari Bikaner’s great-grandfather, and kept it there with a crucial step taken by her grandfather, Maharaja Sadul Singhji, in persuading the Chamber of Princes to join the new State of India, himself signing the accession treaty nearly a month before the Independence Day of August 15th. Princess Rajyashree Kumari Bikaner apparently inherited her commitment to the land and people of Bikaner from them, as much as from her father, Maharaja Dr. Karni Singhji, an elected Member of the Indian Parliament for over 25 years, an internationally known Olympic level shooter, and a founder of several trusts connected with Bikaner and its heritage. Today, she is committed to running those trusts, and to re-telling the story of Bikaner and its peoples.

  Dr. Rima Hooja: Writer & Archaeologist

  Author of: Prince, Patriot, Parliamentarian: Biography of

  Dr. Karni Singh, Maharaja of Bikaner

  * * *

  Visiting Bikaner with Princess Rajyashree entails the pleasure of stepping into an older, more elegant and human world. To encounter the architectural heritage of the Bikaner rulers in the company of one of their descendants has been an unique privilege for me. What stands out most for me however, is Princess Rajyashree’s constant effort at preserving her patrimony, which is so rarely seen in our country. Whether in Bikaner itself or at the idyllic location of Gajner, she has single-mindedly worked to conserve and present her unique inheritance to a modern audience increasingly unfamiliar with the culture, refinement and patronage of an aristocratic ruling class. I hope the current volume succeeds in bringing this legacy before a yet wider audience.

  Javed Abdulla: Consultant – Sotheby’s

  * * *

  As a writer focused on royal India, Bikaner has long captured my imagination. What a magical place! The Badal Mahal, with its playful representation of rain clouds and ingenious watering technology, has to be one of my favourite rooms in the world, set within the majestic Junagarh fort-complex. Awareness of the rich historical and artistic traditions of the erstwhile state has grown recently thanks to the initiatives of the Maharaja Ganga Singhji Trust, which has established a palace museum and assists scholars in research projects involving Bikaner. A highlight of my experiences was a few days of shooting the Royal Reservation TV series over a few misty winter days during which Lallgarh Palace seemed suspended in time.

  Dr. Amin Jaffer: Writer & Senior Curator of Fine art at The Al Thani Collection and Christie’s, London

  Author of: Furniture from British India and Ceylon – 2001,

  Made for Maharajas: a design diary of princely India – 2006

  * * *

  Palace of Clouds

  – A Memoir

  Palace of Clouds

  – A Memoir

  Rajyashree Kumari Bikaner

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  First published in India 2018

  This edition published 2018

  Copyright © Rajyashree Kumari Bikaner, 2018

  Illustrations © Rajyashree Kumari Bikaner and Maharaja Ganga Singhji Trust, 2018

  Illustration at Page 204(Maharaja Narendra Singh of Bikaner © Mr. Kazuyoshi Miyoshi 2018

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  ISBN – HB : 978-9-3869-5062-8, e- ISBN – 978-9-3869-5063-5

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  I dedicate this book to my father with love and gratitude for making it all possible.

  CONTENTS

  Preface