Baroda Crown Jewels

Viraasat Lecture
Baroda Croun Jewels to be delivered by

H.H. Radhikaraje Gaekwad
Maharani of Baroda

Time: 6.30 pm sharp (please take your seat by 6.20 pm)
Day and Date : Saturday, April 21, 2018
Venue : Banquet Hall, Lukshmi Vilas Palace, Vadodara (High Tea will be served between 6 and 6.30 pm.)

About our Speaker, H.H. Radhikaraje Gaekwad:

Born into the princely family of Wankaner, Gujarat, Radhikaraje completed her preliminary education in Delhi and later at Mayo College, Ajmer. Always a keen student of heritage and culture, she graduated in History (Hons.) from the prestigious Lady Shri Ram College and attained her masters degree in Medieval Indian History from Delhi University. She worked as a journalist with the Indian Express before marrying H. H. Samarjitsinh Gaekwad and moving to Baroda.

Presently Radhikaraje is actively involved in running the family trusts such as the Maharani Chimnabai Stree Udyogalaya which works to support low income families, and the Maharaja Fatehsinh Museum Trust, which houses acclaimed paintings by Raja Ravi Varma, among others. She is currently busy working on the documentation of the Lukshmi Vilas Palace and its priceless possessions. She is also aiding her mother-in-law, Rajmata Shubhanginiraje Gaekwad, in reviving the lost old weaving techniques of Chanderi textiles, an intrinsic aspect of royal Maratha sartorial traditions.

Radhikaraje also continues her love for writing by regularly contributing to leading dailies and magazines. She has been on the jury and panel discussions of eminent organizations around India and has spoken on various platforms. She has been conferred prestigious awards for her contribution to the revival and promotion of art and heritage. Radhikaraje and Samar-jitsinh have two daughters – Padmajaraje (11) and Narayaniraje (9).

About the Lecture:
Radhikaraje’s talk will offer a rare glimpse into the history of Gaekwadi Patronage and their taste for precious jewels. It is an insider’s account of how the royal family came to acquire some of the most noted jewels in the world and how their fascinating story is entwined with the fortunes of the Gaekwad dynasty.