Here's an insight into India's richest cricketer, Samarjitsingh Ranjitsinh Gaekwad and Radhikaraje Gaekwad's love story, who lives in an abode four times bigger than Buckingham Palace.
Radhikaraje Gaekwad is one of the most progressive Maharani of India. She is a heritage conservationist, textile revivalist, and director at CDS Art Foundation. She has also been featured in MillionaireAsia magazine. Her beauty is simply beyond explanation, and each of her public appearances radiate pure elegance and grandeur. She hailed from the royal family of Wankaner State and is married to the Maharaja of the princely state of Baroda in India, Samarjitsinh Ranjitsinh Gaekwad.
Radhikaraje Gaekwad's husband, Samarjitsinh Ranjitsinh Gaekwad is a cricket administrator and former cricketer. He has even represented his state in the Ranji Trophy. Talking about Samarjitsinh's royal associations, the Gaekwads held power in Baroda since the early 18th century. Samarjitsinh became the successor to the throne after the death of his father, Maharaja Ranjitsinh Pratapsinh Gaekwad. In 2012, Samarjitsinh was crowned as the Maharaja at the Laxmi Vilas Palace.
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Following this, Samarjitsinh received much of his family's fortune in a 2013 settlement with his uncle, Sangramsinh Gaekwad. Not only this, along with the 187-room Laxmi Vilas Palace, he got ownership of 600 acres of real estate, including Moti Bagh Stadium and Maharaja Fateh Singh Museum, paintings of Raja Ravi Verma and other royal belongings. Additionally, Samarjitsinh opened a section of the palace complex as a banquet facility for private ceremonies under his Laxmi Vilas Banquets venture. Currently, he manages 17 temple trusts in Gujarat and Banaras.
Since 2002, Samarjitsinh has been married to Radhikaraje. The couple has two daughters, Padmajaraje (studying in the UK for her A levels) and Narayaniraje (a Class 10 student). The four of them, along with Samarjitsingh's mother, Rajmata of Baroda, Shubhanginiraje, live in the Laxmi Vilas Palace, which is India's largest private residence. Their Gaekwad's heritage abode is four times bigger than Buckingham Palace.
Even the wealthiest businessman in Asia, Mukesh Ambani's Antilia, is no match in front of the couple's Laxmi Vilas Palace. The Laxmi Vilas Palace has opened a section for tourists with an entry fee of Rs. 150. To visit the museum, tourists need to pay an additional Rs 60. A red light is switched on whenever the king is in the palace.
So, without much ado, let's delve into the historical love story of Samarjitsingh Ranjitsinh Gaekwad and Radhikaraje Gaekwad. The daughter of Maharajkumar Dr. Ranjitsinhji of Wankaner, Radhikaraje Gaekwad didn't know about her in-laws for a long time but she was aware of the Gaekwads' historic importance. For the unversed, Radhikaraje's father had given up his royal privileges to become an IAS officer.
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Thus, she used to live the life of a normal citizen, but during the holidays, they would visit their home in Wankaner and the Bentleys and Buicks. But she was always interested in communication, so she even worked at the Indian Express newspaper for two years, writing about fashion. Soon enough, an arranged marriage set Radhikaraje off to Baroda. In a 2023 conversation with the Firstpost, she revealed:
“I knew the Gaekwad family was among the most historic but I hadn’t seen the Lakshmi Vilas Palace, or knew much about them. There was no Google at the time."
Samarjitsingh and Radhikaraje's wedding was an arranged marriage. During her conversation with Corporate Citizen, the Maharani stated that her arranged marriage was organised by her bua and her husband’s bua. However, she also revealed that her husband’s sister, Alokitaraje had seen her when she was 12 years old at her sister’s wedding.
So, Alokitaraje had kept Radhikaraje in mind, and during the time, when Samarjitsingh's family was looking for a bride, they thought that out. Talking about her first impression of Samarjitsingh, Radhikaraje was heard mentioning how she was impressed to see that Samarjitsingh was cool when she revealed her wish to study further. She told the portal, HerZindagi.com:
"After graduating, I got a job at Indian Express; I also pursued my Masters. At 20, I was the first woman in the family to work; most of my cousins were married by 21! Working as a journalist, my timings were erratic. But my parents were supportive–Baba would pick me up whenever I was late. 3 years later, when my parents began finding a groom for me, I knew I wanted someone who was independent. I had met a few men before Samarjit, but he was different. He was cool about me, offering to pay. And when I told him that I wanted to study further, he encouraged me."
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Radhikaraje got married to the man of her dreams, Samarjitsingh, at his Lutyens’ residence in New Delhi with several former royals in attendance. Radhikaraje's grandfather, who was nearly 100 years old then, was also part of her wedding. Notably, it was a traditional mix of a Maratha and Rajput wedding. Recalling the royal couture she wore at her wedding, in the same chat with Firstpost, Radhikaraje had shared:
“I wore a poshak, a Rajput-style lehenga, and then changed into a tissue chanderi my mother-in-law gave me for my bidaai. I even wore the Maharashtrian nath. Everyone sat around and witnessed the wedding.”
In 2002, although Radhikaraje and Samarjitsingh tied the knot in Delhi, their wedding reception was scheduled for Baroda. However, their elaborate wedding reception, including a procession and everything else, was cancelled due to an unfortunate train carnage that happened on the same day according to Radhikaraje.
When she arrived in Baroda, the train stations were empty, her silverware and large trunks were sent back by train, and the couple was moved to Ananda for a short while. Moreover, instead of a gold chariot, Radhikaraje and Samarjitsinh were driven home in a car with a cavalcade of police vehicles accompanying them. Talking about the same, she told Firstpost:
"Besides, the Godhra riots were taking place at the time of our pheras, so everything was very low-key. I came into an empty town in the throes of a riot.”
Post her wedding, Radhikaraje started her restoration works and even made her name by reviving the old weaving techniques, inspired by Ravi Varma's paintings and many others, which, in a way, empowered the local weavers. In this process, she got immense support from her husband, Samarjitsingh and mother-in-law, Shubhanginiraje.
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During her chat with Corporate Citizen, she was heard mentioning that for her it is very important to evolve and better herself as a human being and as a parent, as a spouse, as a daughter-in-law, but also as a conscious individual of the world, as a citizen of the society. Further, talking about her mother-in-law's help in finding her true identity, Radhikaraje told Firstpost:
“I discovered the house and what it stood for only later. My husband Sam and my mother-in-law let me find my feet on my own. I loved it, it is a beautiful house and I had previously seen this sort of art only in museums or magazines, especially all the Raja Ravi Varma's. The house was a process of exploration indeed.”
Radhikaraje also shared the secret behind her successful marriage to Samarjitsingh. She mentioned to Firstpost that two persons in a marriage cannot be going in very different directions. At some point of time, according to her they need to be on the same page, whether it is on how to raise children, or how one feel for the environment. Moreover, she mentioned that one can’t have secrets in a marriage. Further, in the same conversation, the elegant Maharani revealed how she and her husband are on the same page regarding the upbringing of their daughters. In Radhikaraje's words:
"My thoughts are very basic because I had no nanny. My mother raised me. So I am very hands on on this. That is why I developed so many interests because my parents never left me at home. If they were going for a music programme, however boring I may have thought it at that age, I was taken along. It led to exposure. That’s how my world expanded. I had friends from all walks of life."
Not only that, the doting mother-cum-Maharani explained how she used to be immensely involved with her kids in all their activities. Explaining the same, Radhikaraje added:
"That is what I try and do with my girls. I don’t have any full time help for them. I am very much involved in them. I put them to bed. We spend time everyday talking to each other. There is a lot of communication. I travel with them. My husband is very hands on. He will take them for golf. If he is attending a meeting and if they are free to attend, he takes them along. It is not a formal relationship at all like it used to be in the royal families."
What do you think about the surreal love story of Samarjitsingh Ranjitsinh Gaekwad and Radhikaraje Gaekwad? Let us know!
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