By R.G. Singh, Secretary, Ramsons Kala Pratishtana

The first wedding of the then Prince Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar was celebrated in Mysore on May 15th, 1938 with Princess Sathyaprema Kumari, the third and youngest daughter of Bhanupratap Singh Judeo Bahadur, the Rao of Jigni. At that time the celebrations were conducted by the then Maharaja of Mysore H.H. Krishnaraja Wadiyar Bahadur IV (KRW).

A wide-angle view of the wedding rituals in progress led by a team of purohits and a few women (usually the wives of purohits) on the rolls of the Palace.

The Central India (CI) Agency (under the direct control of British India Government) administered the Bundelkhand region from 1871 which included nine States (having gun salutes) and thirteen estates or principalities (having no gun salutes). The principality of Jigni and Sarila (non-gun-salute States) formed a confederation with the larger Charkhari State (eleven-gun salutes) and often male heirs to any of the three States were adopted within the three Bundela Rajput kingdoms when any of them had no direct male heir. The larger Charkhari State (2,279 sq. kms) was founded in 1765 by Khuman Singh Bundela. Jigni was a small sanad State of about 83 sq. kms. It is located near the confluence of Dhasan and Betwa rivers in present day Rath tehsil of Hamirpur district of Uttar Pradesh.

A letter addressed to KRW. The ruler of Charkhari State Maharaja Arimardan Singh agrees to the request of the groom’s family but in his letter mentions that the idea is “directly opposed to the established custom of my House” but agrees to the condition “out of respect to the wishes and convenience of Your Highness (KRW)”.

Archival records suggest that prior to the wedding the Maharaja of Charkhari State Arimardan Singh Judeo Bundela conducted the negotiations on behalf of the Rao of Jigni since the principality of Jigni was under the Charkhari State. The bride’s family had reservations with the groom’s family regarding the latter’s request to celebrate the wedding in Mysore instead of bride’s native. As per the Rajput customs, usually the ritual of ‘kanyadaan’, the sacramental handing over of bride to the groom in the presence of all elders and relatives, is solemnised at the bride’s maternal home and only after that she is given the ceremonial send-off (bidaayi) to her groom’s house.

Note: The principality of Jigni was founded in 1730 by Rao Padam Singh who was the son of Maharaja Chhatrasal Bundela of Panna. Maharaja Chhatrasal and his concubine Roohani Begum had a daughter Mastani, the famed beauty; she was the second wife of Peshwa Baji Rao. Their legendary romance has captured the popular imagination ever since and the duo is famously referred as Baji Rao-Mastani.

[Letter Collection: Archives.org

[Photographs Collection: Ramsons Kala Pratishtana, Mysore.]