A memoir by princess Rajyashree Kumari delves into the life and times of five generations of the Bikaner royals. By Team Viva

She, along with her siblings, was the first in the family to receive a modern education. She became an avid shooter and won the National Air Rifle Championship at the age of seven. When she was 16 in 1969, she won the prestigious Arjuna Award. Clearly, there is a lot more to Rajyashree Kumari than just being born into the royal family of Bikaner. She has recently come out with her memoir, the third of her books which explores the political legacy of Bikaner’s rulers before and after Independence.

Evoking the romance of the rugged desert kingdom of Bikaner and its Rajput royal family, the book, Palace of Clouds, is a richly woven tapestry encompassing five generations of an aristocratic family past and present.

The book was launched at the Oxford Bookstore in the presence of Gita Devi, Maharani of Kapurtala, who read out extracts. She was effusive in her praise of the princess as she said, “Rajyashree has brought a treasure trove of anecdotes and introduced us to a world of elegance, sport and cosmopolitan culture.”

The book delves into the royal family’s tales of valour, battles and coronation, splendour of the royal courts and culture and traditions, forts and hunting lodges. The author describes her formative years during the sixties when seismic changes in the world were taking place and which were to take her on an adventurous journey from her home in Bikaner to life in London. Her recollection of events gives us a glimpse of a world disconnected with and disrespectful of the Indian masses. So there are accounts of several world tours, African safaris, lavish ballroom parties and hunting excursions. 

All that became part of a glorified past with the abolition of privy purses of the the princes in India. The princess’ formative years were marked by significant changes in the lifestyle of the royals, particularly women, from medieval to cosmopolitan.

One might imagine that to gather the facts and information about generations which dated back to the 15th century would be a cumbersome process but Rajyashree said, “The records that my family has maintained over the years are spot on and it wasn’t really laborious as I consulted my forefathers’ files. I also included quotes and photographs to make it more personal.”

Rajyashree also said that the House of Bikaner under her father Dr Karni Singh, Maharaja of Bikaner, adopted a modern approach and the memoir brings out his role in shaping her personality as an independent woman way ahead of her time. Rajyashree tries to relive the old-world charm, which may interest readers who are curious to know about maharajas. She feels that there has been a revival of an interest in history and says, “I feel proud to say that even the millennials are now taking up the initiative to acquire knowledge of the past. They are much better informed than they used to be once upon a time. There was a time when people said that history doesn’t really matter, but it does in every way possible. A 500-year-old fort is not merely a fort but a treasure that belongs to the whole country. It’s vital to keep doing restoration, preservation and renovation to the old buildings, forts and palaces, in order to keep history alive.”

Most chroniclers know that writing a book that is brutally honest can be a difficult job, especially when it is based on real people. She said, “It’s not easy to write in a truthful and honest manner, and be inoffensive to anyone and anything at the same time.”