How The Youthful Royals Are Making Themselves Relevant

Last updated on October 26th, 2022 at 05:23 pm

Indian royals know that they don’t have the status that they used to have. Their ancestors might have been rulers, but the next generation is showing great streak of entrepreneurship that is mingled with their ancestral names and helps them carry their lineage.

Royalty was long abolished in India. It might have carried on a little after the fight for independence, But, by 1971, there was establishment of a federal government; and royal roles were whittled down and then there weren’t many to rule over.

The Indian royal families continue to remain an intrinsic part of the country’s cultural warp and weft. The younger generation has gone abroad and educated themselves. They have found innovative ways to remain relevant and take forward their family lineages as well.

Brijeshwari Kumari Gohil, Gujurat

The young lady from Bhavnagar has creativity in her blood. As a part of her initiative, the 28-year-old is now cataloguing artworks, manuscripts, letters, registers, books and even furniture — all digitally, for posterity and for scholars of history — at her palace in Bhavnagar.

Gohil’s family is also involved in preserving the family’s ancestral properties, including Narayani Heritage, Gopnath Bungalow and Nilambag Palace, one of Gujarat’s oldest heritage hotels. A part of the palace is a boutique store, which promotes regional crafts including beadwork. A special focus area is the metal craft artisans of Sihor who are struggling to preserve their art owing to dwindling demand.

Jaidev Singh, Rajasthan

Hailing from the Kota Dynasty, the young man, is using his education as an investment banker with a major in economics and business from Cornell University very well. In his current passion, he intends to put the city of Kota on the global tourism map. He rues that while Rajasthan gets its fair share of tourists, Kota is still “undiscovered”. The others to make to this list includes Yaduveer Wadiyar of Karnataka, Yeshwant Holkar of Madhya Pradesh and Trishikha Kumari Devi of Karnataka as well.