Today is the 101th Birth Anniversary of Rajmata Gayatri Devi, Maharani of Jaipur, India.She was a Koch-Rajbongshi princess from Koch Bihar State.
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#GayatriDevi
#Jaipur
#Coochbehar
#Rajmata
#KochRajbongshi
#GayatriDevi
#Jaipur
#Coochbehar
#Rajmata
Maharani Gayatri Devi (born as Princess Gayatri Devi of Cooch Behar; 23 May 1919 − 29 July 2009), was the third Maharani consortof Jaipur from 1940 to 1949, through her marriage to Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II.
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#Jaipur
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#GayatriDevi
#Jaipur
#Coochbehar
Ethnically born in a Koch Rajbongshi Hindu family, her father was Maharaja Jitendra Narayan of Cooch Behar State and her mother was Maratha Princess Indira Raje of Baroda, the only daughter of Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III.
Early in her life,her uncle's death led to her father ascending the throne.She studied at Glendower Preparatory School,London,Visva-Bharati University, Shantiniketan & later in Lausanne,Switzerland.then studied in London School of Secretaries; Brillantmont and Monkey Club London.
Gayatri Devi was a particularly avid equestrienne. She was an excellent rider and an able Polo player. She was a good shot and enjoyed many days out on 'Shikars'.Her Highness was fond of cars and is credited with importing the first Mercedes-Benz W126, a 500 SEL to India.
After independence, Gayatri Devi ran for Parliament in 1962 and won the constituency in the Lok Sabha,winning 192,909 votes out of 246,516 cast.She continued to hold this seat on 1967 and 1971 as a member of the Swatantra Party founded by C. Rajagopalachari,running against INC.
Rajmata Gayatri Devi was once included in Vogue magazine's Ten Most Beautiful Women list.
She was a modern woman of her time.
#GayatriDevi
#Rajmata
#Coochbehar
#Jaipur
#vogue
She was a modern woman of her time.
#GayatriDevi
#Rajmata
#Coochbehar
#Jaipur
#vogue
She retired from politics and published her biography, A Princess Remembers, written by Santha Rama Rau, in 1976. She was also the focus of the film Memoirs of a Hindu Princess, directed by Francois Levie.
She was in Tihar jail for years for political reasons.
She died on 29 July 2009 in Jaipur, at the age of 90. She was suffering from paralytic ileusand a lung infection. She left an estate estimated at nearly half a billion USD, which were passed on to her grandchildren.
She died on 29 July 2009 in Jaipur, at the age of 90. She was suffering from paralytic ileusand a lung infection. She left an estate estimated at nearly half a billion USD, which were passed on to her grandchildren.
