Yesterday was the death anniversary of Rajmata Saheb Maharani Gayatri Devi of Jaipur. At the age of 90, she passed away in Jaipur on July 29, 2009. She had a pulmonary infection in addition to paralytic ileus.
During the infamous state of emergency enforced by the Congress Party, then led by PM Indira Gandhi. Gayatri Devi experienced stomach issues while imprisoned at Tihar. Later, as her gastrointestinal issue worsened, she was admitted to London’s King Edward Hospital. When she indicated a wish to go back to Jaipur, she was receiving treatment there for a gastrointestinal condition. She was transported to Jaipur by air ambulance. On July 17, 2009, she was admitted to Santokba Durlabhji Memorial Hospital (SDMH). She passed away on July 29, 2009, at the age of 90, apparently from lung failure.
Rajmata Gayatri Devi led a very happy life without any regrets. Her grandchildren remember her with great affection. And describe her as someone who was not a nostalgic person and liked to live in the present. She just did what she could do when she saw unhappiness around her. Let’s know some more interesting facts related to Maharani Gayatri Devi.
As a Swatantra Party candidate, Maharani Gayatri Devi served as an MP from 1962 to 1975. She contested for election for the first time in 1962 on a Swatantra Party ticket and easily defeated Shardi Devi of the Congress. Out of the 250,272 votes cast, she received 192,909 votes, while the Congress candidate received only 35,217. Due to the overwhelming margin with which she won the election, her name was entered into the Guinness Book of World Records. She had been close to leaders like Rajgopalacharya, Sarojini Naidu and many others. She was a considerable part of history.
Rajmata Saheb Gayatri Devi of Jaipur
When Maharani Gayatri met with Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri in 1965, she was once again asked to join the Congress. At this point, she remained true to her convictions and opted not to join the party. Even though her husband had just been appointed ambassador to Spain. In 1967, Bhairon Singh Shekhawat’s Jan Sangh and the Swatantra party teamed up. In the 1967 election, the coalition garnered a sizable number of seats. Gayatri was defeated by Damodar Lal Vyas in the Malpura constituency during the assembly election, but she prevailed in the Lok Sabha election.
Her Highness was without a doubt the most attractive individual to ever serve a sentence in Delhi’s Tihar Jail. During the dark era of the Emergency, Maharani Gayatri Devi, an outspoken opponent of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, was detained. For around 5 months, Maharani Gayatri Devi was detained in Delhi’s Tihar Jail. She was detained in 1975 during the Emergency on suspicion of having undeclared assets. About a year after her release from prison, Maharani Gayatri Devi left politics.
She retired from politics and published her biography, A Princess Remembers, written by Santha Rama Rau, in 1976. Since, she had both beauty and bravery in spades. She was an ideal of grace, a dreamer, a believer, and a trendsetter. Moreover, her late Highness will always be remembered as the woman wearing French chiffon sarees and pearl necklaces. And one of India’s most audacious and modern feminist who aimed at equality and not superiority.
The Maharani who restored freedom
Gayatri Devi inherited the royal family’s formality, but she drew the line when it meant sacrificing her freedom. The Maharaja’s two wives both used to adhere to the purdah system. Maharani Gayatri Devi, however, refused to adhere to the Rajasthani Purdah system.
To educate more girls and empower them in their own right she took the initiative and established Jaipur’s most prestigious girls’ school at a time when girls’ education was not given much prominence. Despite the fact that she was a Maharani and had a lot of royal responsibilities, she prioritised the education of girls. She wanted the state’s and Jaipur’s girls to have a good education. So they could stand on their own and be self-sufficient. She founded the Maharani Gayatri Devi Girls’ School in 1943 in Jaipur primarily for this reason.
She had strong feelings about preserving the unique character of the city of Jaipur. Frequently emphasizing that Jaipur is the reason for everything that she is. And felt strongly about preserving the city’s history, and in order to do so, she was willing to go to considerable lengths. Her Highness revived and promoted the then-dying art of blue pottery. She sat on dharnas three times and sent letters to the relevant authorities to get their attention. She had volunteered her land for a park since she was concerned about the environment. Open areas, in the opinion of Her Highness Gayatri Devi, are extremely important.
She also voiced her opposition to the removal of an old tree from Queen’s Road. She loved Jaipur and everything associated with it. And with that intensity she was always adamant about standing up for what she believed in. Whether it was abolishing the purdah practice, educating girls, or preserving the heritage of Pink City. Even after her passing, she is still recognized for her exceptional traits. She was such a powerful woman.
On the 13th Death Anniversary of the late H. H. Rajmata Gayatri Devi, the entire nation remember her as a legend who will live on forever as one of India’s most elegant, independent and modern Maharani.
