Gayatri Devi

Gayatri Devi was born on 23 May 1919 as Princess Gayatri Devi of Cooch Behar, a member of the Hindu royal family of Cooch Behar in West Bengal. Her father was Maharaja Jitendra Narayan of Cooch Behar and her mother was the Maratha Princess Indira Raje of Baroda, daughter of Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III. She was also the sister of Jagaddipendra Narayan, informally known as ‘Bhaiya’, who succeeded their father to the throne of Cooch Behar.

In 1940 she married Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II and became the third Maharani consort of Jaipur. She remained Maharani until 1949, and after her husband’s signature for Jaipur State to join the Union of India and her step‑son’s assumption of the title in 1970 she was known as Maharani Gayatri Devi, Rajmata of Jaipur.

Following India’s independence and the abolition of princely states, Gayatri Devi entered politics as a member of the Swatantra Party. She served for twelve years, during which she was a prominent critic of Indira Gandhi’s government. After leaving politics she lived a quiet life on her large estate, enjoying hobbies and leisure.

Gayatri Devi died on 29 July 2009 in Jaipur at the age of 90. She was suffering from paralytic ileus and a lung infection at the time of her death. Her estate was estimated at £250 million and was passed on to her grandchildren.

Born into a Hindu royal family, Gayatri Devi had Bengali and royal Koch ancestry on her paternal side and royal Maratha descent on her maternal side. Her father, Prince Jitendra Narayan of the Cooch Behar State, was the younger brother of the Yuvaraja (Crown Prince). Her paternal grandmother, Suniti Devi, was the daughter of Keshub Chandra Sen, a prominent figure in the Bengal Renaissance and social reformer, making Gayatri related to him.

She was raised in an environment that blended royal traditions with a cosmopolitan education. Gayatri studied at Glendower Preparatory School in London, Patha Bhavana of Visva-Bharati University in Shantiniketan, and later in Lausanne, Switzerland, where she travelled with her mother and siblings. She also studied secretarial skills at the London School of Secretaries, Brillantmont, and the Monkey Club in London.

Her early life was marked by a close connection to the royal circles of Rajasthan. She first met Sawai Man Singh II when she was 12, after he had come to Calcutta to play polo and stayed with their family. She married Sawai Man Singh II Bahadur on 9 May 1940, and together they would later establish educational institutions in Jaipur.

Gayatri was an avid equestrienne, an excellent rider, and an able polo player. She enjoyed many days out on 'Shikars' and was fond of cars, credited with importing the first Mercedes-Benz W126, a 500 SEL, to India, which was later shipped to Malaysia. She also owned several Rolls-Royces and an aircraft.

Gayatri Devi was born into a Hindu royal family with Bengali, Koch, and Maratha ancestry. Her father, Prince Jitendra Narayan of the Cooch Behar State, ascended the throne after her uncle’s death, and her mother was Maratha Princess Indira Raje of Baroda, daughter of Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III. She received an international education, studying at Glendower Preparatory School in London, Patha Bhavana of Visva-Bharati University in Shantiniketan, and in Lausanne, Switzerland, before learning secretarial skills at the London School of Secretaries, Brillantmont and Monkey Club London.

At the age of twelve, she met Sawai Man Singh II, who had come to Calcutta to play polo. The two married on 9 May 1940. An avid equestrienne, Gayatri was an excellent rider and polo player, and she also enjoyed shooting and driving. She introduced the first Mercedes‑Benz W126 500 SEL to India and owned several Rolls‑Royces and an aircraft. Her only child, Prince Jagat Singh of Jaipur, was born on 15 October 1949 and later received his uncle’s fief as a subsidiary title.

Gayatri Devi was a style icon, photographed by Cecil Beaton for Vogue and described as one of the ten most beautiful women in the world. She was photographed with Jacqueline Kennedy in 1962 at a polo match and on her tour of India. In 2013 designer Sabyasachi presented five limited‑edition saris at the Taj Mahal Palace in her honour, and a 2019 exhibition titled ‘Maharani: ‘Remembering the Princess’ celebrated her centennial year.

Her public service included founding two schools in Jaipur: Maharani Gayatri Devi Girls’ Public School in 1943 and Maharaja Sawai Man Singh Vidyalaya, a co‑educational school in memory of her husband. She also revived and promoted the dying art of blue pottery.

Politically, Gayatri Devi was elected to the Lok Sabha from Jaipur in 1962, 1967 and 1971 as a member of the Swatantra Party. She refused to join the Indian National Congress when approached by Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri in 1965, and she remained loyal to her principles. The privy purses were abolished in 1971, ending royal privileges. In July 1975 she was arrested under the COFEPOSA Act during the Emergency, served five and a half months in Tihar Jail, and subsequently retired from politics. She published her biography, A Princess Remembers, in 1976, which was also released in Marathi. A film, Memoirs of a Hindu Princess, was directed by Françoise Levie based on her life. Although rumours suggested a possible political comeback in 1999, she did not respond to the offer.

Gayatri Devi passed away on 29 July 2009 at the age of 90 after being admitted to Santokba Durlabhji Memorial Hospital on 17 July 2009, reportedly due to lung failure.

Following her death, her family sought to recover 800 kilograms of gold that had been seized by the government in 1975. The seizure was justified under the Gold Control Act of 1968, which declared possession of raw gold by Gayatri Devi illegal.

In 2012, the central government counsel, S.K. Dubey, confirmed to the Delhi High Court that the possession of the gold was indeed unlawful. He also explained that the family had violated the relevant regulations, resulting in a fine of Rs.1.5 crore imposed by the government.

The fine was subsequently reduced to Rs.80 lakh, reflecting a partial alleviation of the financial penalty imposed on the family. This legal episode has become a notable part of the legacy surrounding Gayatri Devi, illustrating the complex interplay between personal heritage and governmental regulation in post-independence India.