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Journalism of Courage
An artist from Mysore has displayed a variety of intricate mythological paintings, spread all over the patio, for us to view. He is explaining the reference, historic’ setting and theme of each painting to Her Highness Brijraj Nandini Kumari, the erstwhile Maharani of what was once one of the richest princely states — Bhavnagar. She would like to enhance her already large collection of Old Indian Art which includes Thanjavur Glass paintings with figures from the Mahabharata and Ramayana, Tanjore art portraying Hindu gods and goddesses embellished with gold and precious stones, Mysore paintings done in vegetable dyes and 24-carat gold paint, miniatures of Radha and Krishna in their garden of love, period European paintings.
The pieces, some of them passed down from generations, adorn the walls of Bhavnagar House, the seaside residence where she stays while in Bombay.
At the impressionable age of 14, in 1955, this young princess from Karauli in Rajasthan arrived at her husband’s palace at Bhavnagar –years later the palace would be run by them together as the Neelambaugh Palace Hotel. Attracted to things of beauty even at that age, she delighted in the discovery of her husband’s even greater involvement and passion for the arts — architecture, painting, sculpture, furniture, antiques. As the young couples’ companionship grew, so did their knowledge, interest and collection, first for the kaleidoscopic art of India and later on for that of lands foreign.
Poignantly reminiscent, she related how many an artist had received patronage from the state’ of Bhavnagar, when her husband Maharaja Vibhadrasinghji was alive. In whatever way he could — by buying the brushes, paints et al or by paying the tuition fees at art school — he tried to give succor to promising young talent. A faraway look in her eyes, she tells of how they spent many hours, when travelling abroad, frequenting famous museums and seeking out art at remote galleries. Their collection was thus augmented with a variety of art and antiquitiesfrom vastly different places of the world. They were nearly never drawn to contemporary art styles and always preferred realistic representation of art be it European, Japanese or the opulent art at home in India.
A beloved work that Brijraj Nandini Kumari shows proudly to art lovers is Yashodha Krishna’, an early work done by one of our most famed pre-independence artists’ Raja Ravi Varma. Raja Ravi Varma’s works, not easy to come by now, are priced at several lakhs today and coveted by almost every serious collector. This artist had come and stayed with the then Maharaja Takht Singhji, her highnesses’ great grandfather-in-law, and painted portraits of him and his dewan. Several other valuable works by him adorn the palace walls, delighting tourists from all over that come to savor the real palace’ ambience to enrich their India experience. Among these is another adored work — Vishwamitra Menaka’ — a sensuous work where the apsara’ Menaka tries to entice and distract the ascetic Vishwamitra from hismeditation after he had renounced the world to attain Brahmarishiyog.
While forever thirsting to add to the ancestral bounty, she would like to share her rich and varied collection with all art lovers and is contemplating a museum-of-sorts in her husband’s name. Still very embryonic, the idea is developing gradually, as she sure of the same thirst and love for art in generations to come. Even now this interested and interesting royal’ looks to add art and antiquities to her Moorish style Palace with its already rich medley of Italian and Spanish furniture, Mappin and Webb silver, magnificent carved elephants, historic photographs, Lalique figurines, crystal chandeliers, colourful Chinese and Japanese Vases, quaint porcelain birds and owls as well as busts and invaluable bronzes from the Vijayanagar and Chola empires. While overseeing the running of her hotel she dreams and works for the day when she will share her treasures with eager viewers from all over the world.
