A PRINCESS REMEMBERS (PB)

Nice book ..

A wonderful book...I was totally unaware of many truths that have been highlighted in the book. It has been written beautifully in an easy and simple language with so much of details explained wonderfully. Excellent book. A must read.

Short but interesting.

Got to know the life of these Maharanis real royal life. The Princess graceful acceptance of polygamy.The accession of the princely states. How the system was abolished. How the Palaces became hotels. Inspite of so many tragedies how they still led a dignified life. Her political entry.

I like part 3 and 4

Really well written and interesting

This book is a time machine😍😍

Autobiography is something which you pick only when you really like that person and are curious enough to know all about him/her. So that was my case to pick this book. I have always been charmed by the elegance and personality of Gayatri Devi just like have been with Princess Diana. I was startled as I had only a faint idea about what royalty was all about. It's about her journey from being a princess of Cooch Behar to Maharani of Jaipur in pre-independence India till date. If you are not interested enough, ignore it or read it holding your breath.Part 1 begins with Ayesha's (Maharani Gayatri Devi's pet name) childhood and the delights and duties of royalty. It's how she was raised by her elegant mother with her four siblings, her extensive travels including her life in London, her infatuation and later affair with Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II fondly known as Jai. She had to try hard convincing her family as she wanted to be his third wife.Part 2 is about her lavish wedding, life in the palace of Jaipur with extensive pardah system which was alien to her, wartime (WW-II) where her husband served too being a Rajput and then about independence of India.Part 3 is about how things changed with independence, how their life changed slowly with giving up many of their lavishness n lifestyle and her unexpected career in politics. She won her first election by the largest margin anyone had ever achieved in the world.Part 4 is the downfall, loosing her brother, her childhood ideal and her husband, her greatest support within a span of few months, the vengeance of Congress by arresting her during emergency and living in Tihar for almost a year.She almost lost everything but her family and the love of people of Jaipur, her constituency, her home.She died in 2009 from a lung aiment.

This is a great book for those interested in the history of colonial and post-colonial India. The perspective from Maharani Gayatri Devi is unique and unknown by many. Growing up as a princess in Cooch Behar in eastern India's north with wealthy parents, travel on India's elite polo circuit, time in England, France and all over Europe with servants, saris and an attentive and loving family, one would might anticipate a boring biography. Always a champion for women's rights, education, and the marginalized the Maharani became one of India's most beloved political leaders rivaling the popularity on Indira Ghandi. In fact, Devi is credited with winning a parliamentary seat with the largest victory margin of any woman in the world for the state of Jaipur. She became the third and public wife of the Maharaji of Jaipur, Sawai Man Singh a distinguished championship polo player on the world circuit and a celebrity among Europe's royal families. Frequenting the royal palaces in Jaipur and taking part in the hunting parties on the Maharaji's estate included Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip, the Mountbattens, Jackie Kennedy, and other heads of state from all over the world. The relationships were reciprocal and one learns a lot from the Maharani about the intimate relationships and global concerns of those individuals. Vogue Magazine listed her as one of the 10 most beautiful women in the world and her gracious and majestic figure (always in a sari) claimed the spotline in evey public event from Delhi to Paris, London, New York and Washington.After the Maharaji's untimely death in England, the Maharani could have retired comfortably from public life but she chose to remain the cornerstone of the family's leadership politically in Jaipur even when the princely states were eliminated by the Indira Ghandi Congress Party. Frankly, the Rajama remained somewhat of a "thorn in the flesh" for Gandhi as she served as a reminder to her people of the days of local pride and the devotion of some Maharaja's to the welfare of their people. She remained politically active until her death at age 90

In contrast this Great Maharani of Jaipur lived and served the Nation in peace and accepted the changes and hardships with dignity and honour. A great role model to be followed in her footsteps to also enlighten our lives.

Loved the book!

Sono stata molto soddisfatta dell'acquisto: buono il prezzo, pronta consegna, libro è arrivato in ottimo stato. Lo consiglierei ad un amico.

The earlier part of the book is written in a an enthusiastic and captivating manner, whereas the latter part is a bit more dry. In the last chapter it is explained why, it had to do with how the author felt about the different stages of her life. It may also be a measure of regret connected to the "drier" parts.Great cultural changes take place during the decades the book covers. One thing mentioned is the custom of segregating men and women, which the author has a unique and sometimes even positive viewpoint on, although she doesn't entirely agree with the custom. She also writes about her polygamous marriage and the other wives, with a viewpoint that is entirely foreign to westerners and thus interesting to read about.