A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of being part of a panel discussion hosted by the auction house AstaGuru as part of their weekend exhibition titled Showkeen. One of the first questions asked during the riveting discussion was what is the relevance of royal families in the present day in democratic India.
Today, as I sat and watched the latest Netflix show, The Royals, I found myself going back to that panel and pondering on the question asked, the relevance of royalty in India today. One cannot disregard or belittle the contributions of India’s 565 Princely States to the historic fabric of India. Their relevance remains with historic houses and palaces being accessible to visitors, housing priceless works of art amongst other things. Public buildings built under their rule are still functioning places of work from hospitals and schools to libraries and not to forget the parks and wildlife sanctuaries that flourished under their keen passions for nature.
It would be impossible to maintain palatial homes and keep them in pristine condition post independence without the riches of the royal coffer. While the abolishment of the privy purses was a rude shock, a stab in the back and a promise broken, royal families have found their way now in a changing time, carrying their age-old legacies forward with the same grace and respect. I do not think a visit to most regions of India can be complete without seeing a palace or a fort which was once built under their rule or exploring a museum which is part of a royal family’s custodianship.
Be it restoring century old properties, conserving antique works of art or documenting age old historic battles. The task is monumental and the work all consuming.
During a recent conversation with a dear friend and mentor, she rightly mentioned the responsibility of religious and ceremonial protocol that heads of royal families continue to uphold. A duty that was not relinquished when the order of annexation was signed. For example, the royal house of Travancore, where a member of the family is up and about at the break of dawn at the historic Padmanabhaswamy Temple to pray to the divine. An age old tradition and legacy that the royal family has respectfully kept up with.
Today, the museum part of palaces are a fine example of preservation globally, where visitors are privy to exquisite works of art that have been carefully passed down through generations. Even Buckingham Palace is opening never before seen wings and stately rooms to engage a changing society.
On May 18, International Museum Day is celebrated annually. An initiative by the International Council of Museums (ICOM). The day is a gentle reminder on the importance of museums and their impact in shaping society. This year's theme explores the future of museums in rapidly changing communities. In a world which is evolving and changing by the minute, the palace museums are white elephants. Storehouses of knowledge, pillars of cultural exchange, which need constant upkeep.
I still recall being fascinated by the Crystal Gallery at the City Palace Museum in Udaipur. While my rendezvous with museums started ever since I was a little girl, my experience working at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS) in Mumbai is what made me respect museum owners, collectors, curators and conservators even more. It takes months of laborious, intense work and expert knowledge to restore an ancient textile. The responsibility to document and narrate history, to make sense of the past and more importantly to give access. Palace museums do not need regalia and pomp to engage and educate an audience. The object on view and the gripping story it shares is plenty of fodder. Depth and relevance comes effortlessly.
Perhaps this is why watching the television show, The Royals, was such a mind-numbingly challenging task for me. To belittle and make caricatures of families that have not only devoted generations to preserve art, culture and heritage but have also opened the doors of their once guarded homes to people from across the globe. Indian palaces today are some of the most popular wedding destinations. And if it were not for the palace museums of Mysore and Vadodara where would one be fortunate enough to see and experience Raja Ravi Varma and his art in all its glory? Clearly, there continues to be relevance.