Page 61 - Tehelka Issue 14E

Q&A INTERVIEW

RAJYASHREE KUMARI one executes a project successfully but great grandfather Maharaja Ganga biography on my grandfather Maha-
AUTHOR then there is no time to pause. The next Singhji, your grandfather Maharaja raja Sadul Singhji — a great and noble
A Royal Encounter are in the process of digitising the thou- Maharaja Dr Karni Singhji. Tell us ing his time, such as the merger of
Sadul Singhji and your father
project needs attention. At present, we
man who faced many hardships dur-
more about these initiatives.
sands of files of my great grandfather
the states into the union of India and
In my view, the most important book
shortly thereafter the partition. He was
Maharaja Ganga Singhji. They are, as you
would expect, with time and wear and
tear in a precarious condition. We have I commissioned was the two-volume always in the shadow of his famous
and powerful father Maharaja Ganga
one gallery in Sadul Museum which Singhji and his equally successful son,
displays revolving subjects and we try my father Maharaja Karni Singhji. I
and change them annually. Currently, felt it was time to recognise his enor-
AFTER HER two earlier books, The Lallgarh days were rarely glamorous events. Most Sudhir Kasliwal of the famous Gem mous and important contribution to
Palace — Home of the Maharajas of Bikaner took place in the battlefield. If the father Palace in Jaipur is displaying his photo- the state of Bikaner. It gives me great
and The Maharajas of Bikaner, Princess was killed while fighting twelve days graphs there, which are extremely popu- satisfaction that Professor L S Rathore
Rajyashree Kumari of Bikaner recently later, his peers crowned the eldest son lar with visitors. took up this project at my request and
released her memoir, Palace of Clouds. in line with a ‘tilak’ on the forehead. They executed it perfectly. Recently, we have
neha kirpal spoke to her about some of paused for a while and then went back to Further, you have reprinted old reprinted the Golden Jubilee book of
the book’s anecdotes, her formative years the battlefield and got on with what they books, TV documentaries and films my great grandfather. There is a huge
in the sixties, how she became an ace had to do. Almost all my ancestors in one about your family. You have also demand for this book from all across
shooter and the efforts she has made form or another were great patrons of published the biographies of your India. Now, all the past three genera-
towards preserving her family’s legacy. the arts and literature. In their time, the tions have their own biographies in
Bikaner school of miniature painting print. I feel that I have done my duty to
EDITED EXCERPTS FROM AN INTERVIEW • was developed and flourished. them and their legacy.

Tell our readers more about your Previous books by you include
Your book encompasses five formative years during the ‘60s which The Lallgarh Palace—Home of
generations of an aristocratic led you on to an adventurous journey the Maharajas of Bikaner and The
family’s past and present. Tell us how from Bikaner to London. family were encouraged to take up a Maharajas of Bikaner. Give our
you dealt with a subject matter of It was an incredible time to be growing gun early and begin training in the art of readers a peek into both these
such enormity. up. Change was everywhere — the Bea- shooting. What may have been slightly books.
Actually, it encompasses more than tles changed the world of music over- different in our case is that my father en- The first book was based on the family
five generations. The task was not that night, conservative thinking and be- couraged his daughters to do the same. palace. Five generations had lived here
difficult as most of my research work haviour was shunned, people were free I obviously had some talent for shooting and it had a rich history besides having
had already been completed when I to express themselves in any way they and he picked up on that and coached stunning architecture. It was an effort
wrote my second book The Maharajas chose to dress — that was the era of bell- me to be a good shot. My father was an to bring alive both the palace and the
of Bikaner, so my reference material bottom trousers! — to the way they did amazing coach and was enormously family members who lived there. It is
was all in place. My task was to add new their hair and makeup. It was a seismic patient. He was very generous of his time a coffee table book with many photo-
information and fill in the gaps as and change and altered the world forever. I and always willing to help young shoot- graphs — these are always very popu-
where they occurred. This was also made enjoyed the sixties enormously. I enjoyed ers. We had an excellent world-class lar. The second was a historic book
easier by having ready access to our the music and experimented with my shooting range in Bikaner where I was based on the life of my ancestors from
archives in Bikaner which are extremely clothes, hair and makeup; it was a very able to practise and hone the art. the founder of Bikaner Rao Bika to my
comprehensive. creative and liberating time. brother Maharaja Narendra Singh.
You have played an active role in the The history of the ancestors existed in
Tell us some of the book’s anecdotes Not many people know that you are preservation of heritage properties, old books such as Narrative House of
in terms of the “tales of valour, a shooter. At the age of 7, you won ancestral forts, palaces and Bikaner and Powlett’s Gazetteer but
battles and coronations, the the National Air Rifle Championship; cenotaphs of the Bikaner royal family. I found them very old-fashioned and
splendour of the royal courts” that at the age of 16, you were awarded You also helped set up the Sadul slightly dull in their narrative. The his-
you relate in the book. the Arjuna Award; and you stood Museum in the Lallgarh Palace. Tell tory of the ancestors needed to connect
Till the time of Maharaja Anup Singh, first at the 16th National Shooting our readers more details about all of with the current day reader. So, I dust-
tenth Maharaja of Bikaner, all my an- Championships. Tell our readers more these projects. ed off the old books and wrote the nar-
cestors fought actively in many battles. about how shooting happened to you It is a duty to my ancestors and their leg- rative in a modern and easily readable
Some were to protect the integrity of at this young age. acy that I try and fulfil to the best of my style which the contemporary reader
their territory from invaders and the It was quite natural for me to take up ability. It is a constant ongoing process can associate with.
others were in fighting in the Mughal ar- shooting. We came from a hunting and with new projects on the anvil all the
mies in the Deccan. Coronations in olden shooting background. Members of the time. Of course, it is very satisfying when LETTERS@TEHELKA.COM

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