Word: maharaja
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Dates: during 1950-1959
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Like all the rest of India's 562 reigning princes, the maharaja was stripped of a great deal of his wealth after India became a free nation in 1947. Confiscated by Nehru's government were his solid gold and silver temple, a fortress filled with jewels, all his palaces but one, three-fourths of his private possessions. The royal herd of 200 elephants melted down to a mere dozen or so, and only a dozen polo ponies remain from his prewar champion string of 100. Even so, the maharaja still manages to make ends meet...
...remaining palace has forty guest rooms, 15 acres of gardens, several swimming pools and a fabulous, ruby-studded gold hawk. The maharaja still pilots his own C-47, still rates two wives, a 17-gun salute abroad, 19 guns at home. Because of his high status among Indian princes, and the fact that he approved independence of India despite personal losses, he was named Rajpramukh of Rajasthan, a new state made up of Jaipur, Jodhpur* and 16 other principalities. In his new lifetime job, the maharaja holds the rank, but few of the responsibilities of governor, draws an adequate salary...
Saris & Cha Cha Cha. Last week's game was arranged by an old friend and fellow poloist, J. K. Atal, minister of the Indian embassy. The maharaja and his handsome son and heir, Maharaj Kumar Bhwani Singh, 21, alternated in the No. 4 position on a team of mixed diplomats (Indians, Britons and a Pakistani), against the socialite Washington Polo Club team. The maharaja, a big (6 ft. 2 in., 200 lbs.), beaming fellow, turned up in unexotic loafers, levis and leather chaps, managed to score one goal (he has a seven-goal rating) before the weather fagged...
...fetched him beer, and shaded him with her bright parasol. Gasped sweating Prince Kumar: "In India, we start our polo games at 5 in the afternoon." Between the humidity and the royalty, hardly anyone noticed the final score of the game, which the Washingtonians won, 10-5. Afterwards the maharaja and his wife and son repaired to a local dairy, where they cooled off over frosted milkshakes...
Even the diplomats, most of them petit bourgeois civil servants, were awed by the royal visitors, and the Asiatic envoys outdid one another in their efforts to entertain the maharaja royally. As usual. Ambassador Ali came out ahead, with an elaborate garden party celebrating the maharaja's 43rd birthday. In the garden behind the receiving line he thoughtfully installed an attic fan. to cool the royal rear. The maharani gamely learned to dance the Cha Cha Cha, while her husband consumed four bottles of champagne and discoursed on the fine points of pigsticking. When the turbaned waiters brought...