YESHWANT RAO HOLKAR

THE GRANDSON OF THE ERSTWHILE KING OF INDORE OPENS UP TO HELLO! ABOUT KEEPING THE FAMILY LEGACY ALIVE AND CONSERVING THE REGION AND ITS CRAFTS

- ANSHU KHANNA

Maheshwar is a sleepy, historic town on the banks of the Narmada. It is the fabled place from where rose the brave warrior queen, Ahilyabai Holkar. And in its heart is the majestic Ahilya Fort, from where the statuesque Yashwant Rao Holkar II ruled.

A king globally acclaimed for his tryst with refined aesthetics, his reign was recently celebrated at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, with an exhibition titled ‘Moderne Maharajah’. His princely life resonated equally with the Malwa region’s Maratha way of life and the high-nosed living of the upper echelons of Paris. HELLO! traveled across the grassy glades of the plateau to meet his grandson— also his namesake—Yeshwant Rao Holkar, to discover how this young prince, inspired by his egalitarian father Shivaji Rao “Richard” Holkar, has been quietly enriching the glorious past by caring for his people in a way only a deserving scion could.

The best of both worlds

A tall, good-looking prince, Yeshwant straddles an eclectic existence with ease, as comfortable in his South Mumbai home as he is at Ahilya Fort. He restores the edifice inch by inch, works with the weavers of Maheshwar, constantly chronicles history and legacy, and also brings sustainable practices to his heritage hotel chain.