This Princess of Jodhpur’s trousseau packed quite the punch. Upon her 1949 wedding to the scion of one of the most redoubtable royal houses in India, Maharaja Fatehsinghrao Gaekwad II of Baroda, Maharajkumari Rajendrakumari Baisa of Marwar (Jodhpur), rechristened Maharani Padmavatiraje Gaekwad of Baroda, brought her entire menagerie with her—pooches, parrots, and countless trunks packed with yards of precious fabric. “I’ve inherited some of the chiffons she brought in her trousseau,” says the present Maharani of Baroda, Radhikaraje Gaekwad. Radhikaraje is married to the present Maharaja Samarjitsinh Gaekwad, the nephew of late Maharaja Fatehsinghrao Gaekwad. From embroidered French chiffons, to reams and reams of Taffeta and satin, yardage lay unopened in trunks, and out of sight.
Travelling Trunks
“Maharani Padmavatiraje’s trousseau is legendary both in proportion and quality. She brought so much that even after 70 years, we still have these exquisite fabrics stored in their original trunks, in pristine condition, many with their tags intact,” explains Radhikaraje. Fabrics like these, made specially for royalty, had retired into oblivion until now, when enterprising descendants, designers, textile artisans, and revivalists have discovered the richness of these forgotten weaves, and are making them available for discerning collectors who understand the value of timeless fashion.
This story is from the September 21, 2020 edition of India Today.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the September 21, 2020 edition of India Today.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Shuttle Star
Ashwini Ponnappa was the only Indian to compete in the inaugural edition of BDMNTN-XL, a new international badminton tourney with a new format, held in Indonesia
There's No Planet B
All Living Things-Environmental Film Festival (ALT EFF) returns with 72 films to be screened across multiple locations from Nov. 22 to Dec. 8
AMPED UP AND UNPLUGGED
THE MAHINDRA INDEPENDENCE ROCK FESTIVAL PROMISES AN INTERESTING LINE-UP OF OLD AND NEW ACTS, CEMENTING ITS REPUTATION AS THE 'WOODSTOCK OF INDIA'
A Musical Marriage
Faezeh Jalali has returned to the Prithvi Theatre Festival with Runaway Brides, a hilarious musical about Indian weddings
THE PRICE OF FREEDOM
Nikhil Advani’s adaptation of Freedom at Midnight details our tumultuous transition to an independent nation
Family Saga
RAMONA SEN's The Lady on the Horse doesn't lose its pace while narrating the story of five generations of a family in Calcutta
THE ETERNAL MOTHER
Prayaag Akbar's new novel delves into the complexities of contemporary India
TURNING A NEW LEAF
Since the turn of the century, we have lost hundreds of thousands of trees. Many had stood for centuries, weathering storms, wars, droughts and famines.
INDIA'S BEATING GREEN HEART
Ramachandra Guha's new book-Speaking with Nature-is a chronicle of homegrown environmentalism that speaks to the world
A NEW LEASE FOR OLD FILMS
NOSTALGIA AND CURIOSITY BRING AUDIENCES BACK TO THE THEATRES TO REVISIT MOVIES OF THE YESTERYEARS