A battle of wills: Gayatri Devi's £250m legacy | The Inpennt | The Inpennt

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• THE FASCATG LIFE OF MORN INDIA’S MOST BETIFUL QUEENTHE STORY OF MAHARANI GAYATRI DEVI WHO LIVED AN UNRTRAED LIFEKABIR·FOLLOWPUBLISHED LSONS OM HISTORY·4 M READ·OCT 15, 2020--2SHAREMAHARANI GAYATRI DEVISOURCE-PUBLIC DOMAMAHARANI GAYATRI DEVI BEME THE THIRD QUEEN OF JAIPUR (RAJASTHAN, INDIA) AFTER BEG MARRIED TO KG SAWAI MAN SGH II. GAYATRI DEVI WAS LISTED BY VOGUE MAGAZE AS ONE OF THE MOST BETIFUL WOMEN THE WORLD.APART OM HER IMPECBLE GRACE AND ENCHANTG ROYALTY, SHE FIED ALL NVENTNS AS THE QUEEN AND LIVED HER LIFE ON HER OWN TERMS. FROM BEG AN AVID EQUTRIENNE TO PROMOTE WOMEN’S TN AND EQUALY ONE OF INDIA’S MOST PATRICENTRIC STAT (RAJASTHAN), SHE LEFT AN LIBLE STORY FOR THE GENERATNS TO E.THE EARLY LIFE OF QUEEN GAYATRI DEVIMAHARANI GAYATRI DEVI AND MAHARAJA SAWAI MAN SGH IISOURCE-PUBLIC DOMAHER HIGHNS GAYATRI DEVI WAS BORN ENGLAND 1919 THE ROYAL FAY OF COOCH BEHAR WT BENGAL. FROM AN EARLY AGE, SHE BROKE THE TRADNAL NORMS OF THE ROYAL FAY AND MARRIED THE MAN OF HER CHOICE — SAWAI MAN SGH (THE KG OF JAIPUR) WHO HAD TWO WIV. IN MAY 1940, GAYATRI DEVI MARRIED THE KG AND ACCEPTED TO BE HIS THIRD WIFE. UNLIKE, THE KG’S OTHER TWO WIV, GAYATRI DEVI NIED THE PURDAH SYSTEM. IT IS A RELIG AND SOCIAL PRACTICE PREVALENT HDU MUNI WHERE THE WOMAN HAS TO E A VEIL TO NCEAL HER FACE. SHE MA A REMARKABLE NTRIBUTN TO CURBG THE PURDAH SYSTEM OM RAJASTHAN INDIA. THE QUEEN GAYATRI DEVI WAS GIVEN THE TLE OF “QUEEN MOTHER” AFTER HER HBAND PASSED AWAY 1949.THE THREE QUALI OF GAYATRI DEVI THAT MA HER UBER-ROYAL
• STUNNG FACTS ABOUT GAYATRI DEVI, THE LOST MAHARANI
• MAHARANI GAYATRI DEVI: WOMAN WHO LIVED LIFE ON HER OWN TERMS | #INDIANWOMENINHISTORY
• GAYATRI DEVI: INDIA’S LEGENDARY PRCS PASS AWAY
• REMEMBERG THE LEGACY OF MAHARANI GAYATRI DEVI ON HER 100TH BIRTHDAY
• BOLD & BETIFUL, RAJMATA GAYATRI DEVI DEFIED CONVENTN & LIVED LIFE ON HER OWN TERMS
• MAHARANI GAYATRI DEVI, INDIA'S 'QUEEN MOTHER' AND STYLE IN, DI
• LIFE AND TIM OF RAJMATA GAYATRI DEVI – THE DERT QUEEN
• A BATTLE OF WILLS: GAYATRI DEVI'S £250M LEGACY
• GAYATRI DEVI BIRTH CENTENARY: THE LADY WHO ROCKED THE LOK SABHA ELECTN WH HER LANDSLI VICTORY
• GODSS GAYATRI DEVI
• ENDURG ENIGMAS: MAHARANI GAYATRI DEVI
• GAYATRI DEVI: THE GOLN QUEEN OF JAIPUR
• NOT ONLY BOLLYWOOD'S BIG B BUT ALSO KG KHAN WAS OBSSED WH GAYATRI DEVI'S BETY
• JAIPUR'S QUEEN GAYATRI DEVI DI AT 90

THE FASCATG LIFE OF MORN INDIA’S MOST BETIFUL QUEENTHE STORY OF MAHARANI GAYATRI DEVI WHO LIVED AN UNRTRAED LIFEKABIR·FOLLOWPUBLISHED LSONS OM HISTORY·4 M READ·OCT 15, 2020--2SHAREMAHARANI GAYATRI DEVISOURCE-PUBLIC DOMAMAHARANI GAYATRI DEVI BEME THE THIRD QUEEN OF JAIPUR (RAJASTHAN, INDIA) AFTER BEG MARRIED TO KG SAWAI MAN SGH II. GAYATRI DEVI WAS LISTED BY VOGUE MAGAZE AS ONE OF THE MOST BETIFUL WOMEN THE WORLD.APART OM HER IMPECBLE GRACE AND ENCHANTG ROYALTY, SHE FIED ALL NVENTNS AS THE QUEEN AND LIVED HER LIFE ON HER OWN TERMS. FROM BEG AN AVID EQUTRIENNE TO PROMOTE WOMEN’S TN AND EQUALY ONE OF INDIA’S MOST PATRICENTRIC STAT (RAJASTHAN), SHE LEFT AN LIBLE STORY FOR THE GENERATNS TO E.THE EARLY LIFE OF QUEEN GAYATRI DEVIMAHARANI GAYATRI DEVI AND MAHARAJA SAWAI MAN SGH IISOURCE-PUBLIC DOMAHER HIGHNS GAYATRI DEVI WAS BORN ENGLAND 1919 THE ROYAL FAY OF COOCH BEHAR WT BENGAL. FROM AN EARLY AGE, SHE BROKE THE TRADNAL NORMS OF THE ROYAL FAY AND MARRIED THE MAN OF HER CHOICE — SAWAI MAN SGH (THE KG OF JAIPUR) WHO HAD TWO WIV. IN MAY 1940, GAYATRI DEVI MARRIED THE KG AND ACCEPTED TO BE HIS THIRD WIFE. UNLIKE, THE KG’S OTHER TWO WIV, GAYATRI DEVI NIED THE PURDAH SYSTEM. IT IS A RELIG AND SOCIAL PRACTICE PREVALENT HDU MUNI WHERE THE WOMAN HAS TO E A VEIL TO NCEAL HER FACE. SHE MA A REMARKABLE NTRIBUTN TO CURBG THE PURDAH SYSTEM OM RAJASTHAN INDIA. THE QUEEN GAYATRI DEVI WAS GIVEN THE TLE OF “QUEEN MOTHER” AFTER HER HBAND PASSED AWAY 1949.THE THREE QUALI OF GAYATRI DEVI THAT MA HER UBER-ROYAL

Maharani Gayatri Devi beme the third queen of Jaipur (Rajasthan, India) after beg married to Kg Sawai Man Sgh II. Gayatri Devi was listed by Vogue magaze as one of the most betiful women the om her impecble grace and enchantg royalty, she fied all nventns as the queen and lived her life on her own terms. From beg an avid equtrienne to promote women’s tn and equaly one of India’s most patricentric stat (Rajasthan), she left an lible story for the generatns to early life of Queen Gayatri DeviMaharani Gayatri Devi and Maharaja Sawai Man Sgh IISource-Public DomaHer Highns Gayatri Devi was born England 1919 the royal fay of Cooch Behar Wt Bengal.

The queen Gayatri Devi was given the tle of “queen mother” after her hband passed away three quali of Gayatri Devi that ma her uber-royalUnnventnal — Gayatri Devi’s exquise fashn sense and glamour ma her one of the most attractive queens of morn India. This b of romantic rebelln ed an immediate high society uproar, and by the time Gayatri me to the world 1919, still hadn’t lmed down.

At the time, the royal fay Cooch Behar were liberal and dulgent wh their children, but no one took to eedom que like Gayatri. Nicknamed “Jai, ” at 21 years old he was already one of the foremost polo players the world—and although Gayatri had already met the lik of Prce Aly Khan and Douglas Fairbanks Sr., she was particularly starstck by the handsome and athletic ler.

STUNNG FACTS ABOUT GAYATRI DEVI, THE LOST MAHARANI

While Gayatri sttted around the Maharaja and tried her bt to act like an adult, she end up gettg to a mortifyg suatn.

MAHARANI GAYATRI DEVI: WOMAN WHO LIVED LIFE ON HER OWN TERMS | #INDIANWOMENINHISTORY

While Jai had been dulgent wh the children on his vis and let them w at tennis gam and other activi, the overnfint Gayatri assumed she was jt that good, and that’s why she won.

Gayatri may have still been very unrage, but that didn’t stop the Maharaja om noticg her blossomg good looks this time around.

Jai had been eyeg her all trip, and after he won the India Polo Associatn Champnship, Gayatri’s mother promised him “anythg you want ” as a iendly prize. He turned right to Gayatri, who had been wag on the sil, and said he wanted her—jt her—to e to dner wh him that very night. For one, their home liv uldn’t have been more different: Jai’s other two wiv both strictly practiced purdah, where women hid om view and kept themselv separate om men, while Gayatri enjoyed an pennt upbrgg that chafed agast the very tradns.

GAYATRI DEVI: INDIA’S LEGENDARY PRCS PASS AWAY

Throughout the heady days, Gayatri knew she had to wre her mother and nfs that she was engaged to the Maharaja. Thkg she already knew, Jai broached the subject wh the dowager, who immediately grew nfed and sisted Gayatri had told her nothg. After this awkward exchange, the Maharaja sent an angry telegram to Gayatri mandg why she hadn’t said anythg.

REMEMBERG THE LEGACY OF MAHARANI GAYATRI DEVI ON HER 100TH BIRTHDAY

Both Gayatri and her mother were on edge around the official royal fay, wh the dowager fearg hurt feelgs on all sis if her dghter went through wh the marriage. After a sleepls night where Gayatri threatened aga and aga to n to her love’s si only to have her mother stop her, the fay fally got another telegram. After Jai’s bsh wh ath, the uple fast-tracked their marriage plans, ignorg the ntued prottatns of everyone Gayatri’s fay, now cludg not jt her mother but her olr siblgs, too.

Her mother, apparently feelg sperate, snapped that Gayatri was the “newt addn to the Jaipur nursery, ” while her sister Ila lled her “spels” whenever she was around her fiancé. Gayatri’s brother had grown close to Jai himself over the years, and he seemed a me jealo that his sister had ptured his BFF’s heart.

BOLD & BETIFUL, RAJMATA GAYATRI DEVI DEFIED CONVENTN & LIVED LIFE ON HER OWN TERMS

Jt bare weeks before her 21st birthday, Gayatri married her Prce Charmg somethg that was both a fairy tale weddg and a huge extravaganza. When was all over, Gayatri was a married woman and a Maharani, and the newlyweds set off on their honeymoon.

Once Calcutta, the newlyweds elected to spend a night at Gayatri’s childhood home—only, the moment she stepped down om her transport, she knew nothg was ever gog be the same. Aga actg unr the sway of purdah, her Jaipur attendants immediately hered any male servants out of her sight, even though, as Gayatri remembered, “I had known most of them all my life.

The next morng, Gayatri’s brother fally left their party to let the new uple have their honeymoon earnt. Even her faiar surroundgs, Gayatri uld feel how different thgs were now, and she mt have worried she ma a mistake.

MAHARANI GAYATRI DEVI, INDIA'S 'QUEEN MOTHER' AND STYLE IN, DI

Shortly after the honeymoon, Gayatri had to face a dread task: To meet Jai’s send wife Jo for the first time sce she had married the Maharaja. Although Gayatri’s new iend Jo was only three years olr than her and morn by many of the culture’s standards, Jo also uldn’t even let a doctor exame her, stead needg to e her maids to act as go-betweens while the medic stood the halls.

Throughout her time followg purdah, Gayatri had a secret weapon: Jai really was head over heels love wh her. Wh Jai away and his send wife Jo tied up wh funeral arrangements, Gayatri was left to look after the gaggle of children around the palace, all while tryg to make their Christmas Eve as mimally morbid as possible. That year, the Brish partned a newly pennt India—and this had a direct effect on Gayatri and the royal fay.

LIFE AND TIM OF RAJMATA GAYATRI DEVI – THE DERT QUEEN

Still bouncg her toddler on her leg, Gayatri got word that her brother Indraj had passed—and once more, was no ordary mise. In the 1960s, the betiful Gayatri Devi cid she wanted to stop merely beg a sociale and start enterg the enzied ay of polics India. In 1968, her beloved mother passed at the age of 76, and although Gayatri was due to vis her on her athbed, she had to lay her flight by one day—the very day that Indira Devi passed.

As Gayatri’s hband Jai entered his late 50s, his body started slowg down and he even suffered a d heart attack. The next days passed a blur of tears and nsolatn for Gayatri, as sympathi poured om everyone om Prce Philip to Jai’s old garner. In her memoirs, Gayatri herself uld barely discs her feelgs durg this time, and when she watched om her wdow as Jai’s funeral pyre went up, she remembered that “grief seized me almost like a physil spasm.

In the middle of The Emergency, ernment officials shockgly had Gayatri arrted, cg false accatns of illegal tax activi. And former Maharani or not, they hardly gave her special treatment: Gayatri spent five months the notor Tihar Jail, one of the largt prison plex the world. After a youth the spotlight, the widowed Gayatri spent her fal years largely secln, avoidg polics entirely and attendg only the most exclive parti—and even then, only when she felt like .

A BATTLE OF WILLS: GAYATRI DEVI'S £250M LEGACY

She was one of the morn prcs and queens of India who changed liv of many people and ma a Life and Edutn Image Cred: Wikimedia CommonsGayatri Devi was born London, UK on 23rd May 1919. She was warned that beg third wife of the kg will not be easy and she was often unr scty by others, yet she rried all her duti wh charm and grace while beg a Gayatri Devi pictured by Cecil Beaton  1940.

GAYATRI DEVI BIRTH CENTENARY: THE LADY WHO ROCKED THE LOK SABHA ELECTN WH HER LANDSLI VICTORY

After pennce of India, Gayatri Devi ntted Indian Parliamentary electns 1962 and won wh rerd breakg 192, 909 vot creatg a rerd.

GODSS GAYATRI DEVI

She was also lled “People’s prcs” bee she was iative clus Maharani Gayatri Devi Girls school wh 40 stunts and one English teacher which later beme one of the bt the untry. “She dited her life to creatg a subtle, but implitive, change society, particularly wh her ntuo efforts for the empowerment of Indian women om the nf of the veil”– Devraj Sgh of Jaipur, grandson of Maharani Gayatri DeviFrom her choice of attire to her polil cisns, she was often praised and cricised at the same time.

ENDURG ENIGMAS: MAHARANI GAYATRI DEVI

“She dited her life to creatg a subtle, but implitive, change society, particularly wh her ntuo efforts for the empowerment of Indian women om the nf of the veil”– Devraj Sgh of Jaipur, grandson of Maharani Gayatri DeviShe spent most of her last days stgglg wh her health but she was at peace. Rajmata (or Queen Mother) Gayatri Devi, of the erstwhile prcely state of Jaipur India, passed away at age 90. Gayatri Devi was one of the few people remag who uld vividly scribe the life of fabulo wealth of the old fdal Indian royalty (that led over nearly 40% of the Indian subntent at the time of Indian pennce), as well as full participatn the life of a morn Indian mocracy after the untry’s eedom om the Brish le 1947.

In the 1940s when Gayatri Devi got married “there were so many guts that her father’s palace Bengal uld not acmodate them. Among the first royals to jo the mocratic procs of electns, Gayatri Devi won the Lok Sabha (Indian parliament) electns 1962, 1967 and 1971 nttg on Swatantra Party ticket.

Gayatri Devi studied at the Nobel-lreate poet Rabdranath Tagore’s famo Santiketan Bengal, and later Lsanne, Swzerland. She started schools for girls Jaipur, most proment of which is the Maharani Gayatri Devi Girls’ Public School.

GAYATRI DEVI: THE GOLN QUEEN OF JAIPUR

One of Vogue’s 10 most betiful women the world, Maharani Gayatri Devi’s fluence as a sartorial in has long been chronicled, cludg my bgraphy The Last Queen of Jaipur. ‘Rememberg the Prcs' will showse rare revival textil, home dér, jewellery and accsori to celebrate Gayatri Devi’s centenary year. It is a rult of tirels efforts by over 40 participants and hundreds of skilled hands supportg them, cludg French chiffon saris by Mala Sha’s Baroda-based sign stud Bodhi, home accsori by Come Cheeni, embellished potlis by Ayhi Agarwal and exhibn will take place on October 6-8 at Coomaraswamy Hall, MumbaiAlso read:The unseen pictur give you a look at Maharani Gayatri Devi’sTake a look at the r Maharani Gayatri Devi last drove.

If the life of Rajmata Gayatri Devi had to be summed up a few words, would unqutnably be extraordary and unnventnal. One of the most morn, pennt, and chic Maharanis of India, Gayatri Devi had the kd of life that any bgrapher would kill to wre a book on. Elegant and graceful her sare and sometim khaki pants, Gayatri Devi was listed by Vogue as one of the most betiful women the world.

Dghter of the Maharaja of Cooch-Behar, Gayatri – or Ayha, as she was fondly lled – lived an unrtraed life her palace staffed wh five hundred servants. Gayatri’s mother, Indira, refed to accept an arranged marriage and married for love, so was pretty evint that Gayatri wasn’t gog to live her life dictated by the society.

NOT ONLY BOLLYWOOD'S BIG B BUT ALSO KG KHAN WAS OBSSED WH GAYATRI DEVI'S BETY

Sir Sawai Man Sgh Bahadur had two wiv then, but he simply uldn’t help beg enchanted by the charmg Gayatri who was nothg que like the more orthodox Raut women he knew. In 1943, she opened the Gayatri Devi School for Girls wh 40 stunts and an English teacher, which me to be known as one of the ft schools India. Tragedy h Gayatri when Man Sgh died after a month and she beme Rajmata, the Queen Mother, when Man Sgh’s elst son by his first wife, Colonel Bhawani Sgh was clared the Maharaja.

She was arrted and imprisoned Tihar Jair 1975 durg the grievg for the love of her life, Rajmata Gayatri Devi was persuad to stand for her third term Parliament 1971, which was the year when the prcely state was fally -regnized. This change the nstutn brought a tough life for the Rajmata and her stepson when, July 1975, both were arrted and imprisoned Tihar Jail, though there had never been any ser charg laid agast months jail, Gayatri’s will held strong; but, not her body.

Dpe beg rcerated for almost half a year jail, Gayatri did not let her difficult suatns affect her life after she was back to the society. Maharani Gayatri Devi beme a member of the royal fay of Jaipur after marryg the Maharaja of Jaipur beme a popular polician after India's pennce om Bra. Once voted one of the most betiful woman the world by Vogue, Gayatri Devi, the Rajmata has worn many hats throughout her life.

JAIPUR'S QUEEN GAYATRI DEVI DI AT 90

While is certa that her bety opened doors which would otherwise not open so easily, Gayatri Devi never ed her bety rd to w hearts. Gayatri Devi and Man Sgh II joed the Swantatra Party for they were imprsed by a polil group that was speakg agast the State ntrol and Congrs Party’s enomic polici. Durg the summer months that she spent every year London's Knightsbridge she would mgle wh aristocracy, while back home India's "pk cy", she would host parti on her lawn for the lik of Mick Jagger and Michael the ath of Gayatri Devi, the third wife of the last official Maharajah of Jaipur, has reigned a bter dispute the royal fay over assets worth perhaps £250m which clu fabulo palac, jewels and patgs.

It is a fight that has pched grandson agast step-uncle and half-brother agast half-brother – an unseemly row that has reverberated around this sert cy where she lived a life the style of another dispute wh the Jaipur royal fay is extraordarily labyrthe and multi-layered, but s sence pch Gayatri Devi's grandchildren agast two of her grandchildren, Devraj Sgh and Lalya Kumari, grew up Thailand but late last year returned to Jaipur, smoothed over any differenc they may have had wh their grandmother and were prent – so they claim – when she produced a will that left all her assets to them.