Rajmata Gayatri Devi - Brand Ambassador of Rajasthan
Gayatri Devi – the grand queen mother or ‘rajmata’ of the Jaipur royal family in Rajasthan who was listed as one of the most beautiful women in the world, died on Wednesday, aged 90. Her death on Wednesday, barely two months after her 90th birthday May 23, came after complications caused by an intestinal endoscopy that she underwent two months ago. She died in a Jaipur hospital. People still remember her as the Rajmata, for she had truly been the people’s maharani.
The princess Ayesha, who was the daughter of the erstwhile maharaja of Cooch Behar, shot her first panther at the age of 13.
Gayatri Devi was maharani of Jaipur state from 1939 to 1970. She was an excellent marksman, a tennis player and a keen rider, with a deep knowledge of horses. She was attached to all her children, fond of flowers like lilies and gladioli and birds. She was known for her soft floral soft chiffons which used to compliment her beauty.
She spent the last three decades of her life after her husband’s death in 1970 at the picturesque Lilypool — an elegant sprawling bungalow surrounded by greens and a lily pond that she had built with her husband on the premises of Jaipur’s Rambagh Palace.
The maharani, who spent the early years of married life in luxury hunting, partying and holidaying in Europe, forayed into politics in 1962 by contesting and winning Lok Sabha elections from Jaipur. She took interest in social activities, built an exclusive school for girls in Jaipur and promoted the traditional blue pottery of Rajasthan.
The London-born maharani was devout. She regularly visited a Shiva temple atop Moti Dungri in Jaipur. In the latter part of her life, she has done a lot for Jaipur in setting up institutions of education and improving the lot of women.
She was the one queen who with her beauty and charm always reigned over the hearts of many Indians.
#1 by uday singh jubbal on March 2, 2010 - 1:00 am
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I had known Rajmata Sahiba of Jaipur since I was a boy as she was well known to my mother who is Rani Urmilla Devi of Jubbal(formerly Princess Urmilla Devi of Kapurthala.)My mother is now 92years old but is still in good health.
The last time I met Rajmata Sahiba was in Jaipur at Maharaj Jai Singh & Rani Vidya Devi of Jaipur at their residence.
May her memory never die & may she be an inspiration to all the young women of india.