4 GUJARAT * TheIndianEXPRESS AHMEDABAD I SATURDAY I MAY 12 I 2012 www.expressindia.com Thousands join Baroda ’s last journey Modi, royals from different parts of country pay their last respects to Ranjitsinh Gaekwad EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE Mrunalini Devi Puar (who is , MAY11 Chancellor of MSU), Pramila Raje, Saral Raje THE city bade a teary adieu and Vasundhara Raje were to the patriarch of its erst- also present. They were while royal family Ranjitsinh joined by Ranjitsinh’s Gaekwad on Friday as his younger brother Sangram- body was consigned to sinh Gaekwad, who lives in flames at Kirti Mandir, the Mumbai, this morning. royal crematorium near Sangramsinh reached the Sayaji Garden. Palace with wife, son and The funeral procession be- daughter-in-law around 9.30 gan from Laxmi Vilas Palace, am. The two brothers had the residence of the Gaek- been embroiled in a property wads, at 10.30am after Chief dispute and the matter had Minister Narendra Modi and reached the court. Leader of the Opposition Prince of erstwhile Jasdan Shaktisinh Gohil paid floral state (now in Rajkot district) tributes to the maharaja in Satyajit Khachar and Apra- Darbar Hall of the Palace. tim Sengupta of Kolkata, Modi was joined by former both sons-in-law of Ran- state minister Bhupendra jitsinh; royals of erstwhile Singh Chudasama and MLA Wankaner state, where Pradipsinh Jadeja. Samarjitsinh is married, As the body was carried in joined the funeral along with an open truck, several roy- Urvashi Devi and Tusharsinh als from different parts of Maharaul, royals of Devgadh the country, local politi- Baria; Manvendra Singh Go- cians, government officials, hil, prince of Rajpipla; Sar- artists and thousands of citi- dar Patankar, royal of zens joined the funeral pro- , from where Ran- cession. jitsinh’s wife Shubhangini Vadodara MP Balkrishna Devi hails; prince of Kolha- Shukla, MLAs Yogesh Patel, pur (Maharashtra) Shamb- Bhupendra Lakhwala, Jiten- hajirao Bhosle; M Swanat dra Sukhadia, M S University Maraj of Sawantwadi (Kar- vice-chancellor Prof Yogesh nataka); and Kartikrao Singh, former cricketer An- Ghorpade of Sandur (Kar- shuman Gaekwad and local nataka) among others. councillorsledtheprocession Tomourn the death of the with the royals. maharaja, M S Universityob- Ranjitsinh’s son Samar- served a holiday today. jitsinh lit the funeral pyre as theroyalpriestchantedVedic BEES SCARE The funeral procession mantras and a band of seven MOURNERS began from Laxmi Vilas royal musicians played Palace, where CM shehnais and drums along Hundreds of bees attacked Narendra Modi and a with the music band of Rail- people outside Laxmi Vilas host of former royals way Police. Palace when a beehive inside paid their last respects The ashes of Ranjitsinh the palace was disturbed by to the Maharaja. The last would be immersed in river smokefromthelastrites.The rites were conducted at Narmada near Chandod in mourners, including royals, Kirti Mandir, a memorial Bharuch district and in the politicians, policemen and for the departed river Ganga at Haridwar as mediapersons, ran for cover. members of the per the family tradition. A few were reportedly stung Gaekwad royal family. Ranjitsinh’s four sisters, by the bees. BHUPENDRA RANA RIPRanjitsinh,thepeople’sking EXPRESSNEWSSERVICE livingroyalinthiscitywhohadwit- market?”heasksandadds,“Now, caretakeratKirtiMandirproudly andAnjanaRaje,thusbecamethe VADODARA,MAY11 nessed the transition of Baroda everythingisgone”. details his job of cleaning up and people’s maharaja. Ranjitsinh from a kingdom to a part of the “Sadi beet gayi(an era has arrangingtheplaceforthepyre,as wouldattendandperformatmusic SHUBHANGINI Raje stood Indianunion. ended),” mourners were heard he has been doing for all the concerts. Shubhangini Raje, who Brides Wanted with her hands folded, watching Thisyear,Vadodaraiscelebrat- sayingasthepalanquinsetouton Gaekwads’lastjourney. has researched on Chanderi Sa- her husband’s mortal remains ing 150th birth anniversary of Sir its final journey through the an- Dhruvnath Vyas, the royal rees,heldanexhibitionandsaleof Vaish/Jain leave their home in a palanquin Sayajirao-III, the visionary king tiquated streets of old Vadodara. priestsays,thiswasthelasttimehe these sarees over a year back, and as the other women of the Gaek- who gave the city its railway, “This palanquin was newly was conducting last rites for a Samarjitsinhisthemanbehindthe RAUNIYAR H’some wad family wept, looking out of schools,RajaRaviVarmagallery, made, after the old one broke. Gaekwad. “I have carried out the golfcourse,makingtheGaekwads Boy, 29/ 5’9”, Mgr, Reputed 5* Hotel the ornate armorial embossed Felicisculpturesandpublicbuild- Maharajsaheb is the first to use lastritesforRaniPadmavati(wife minglersofsorts. Gurgaon, Seek B’ful, windows of the palace that their ings,inspiredfromIslamic,Euro- it,” says Pawar. of Fatehsinhrao), Maharaj Even as the city’s scape Fair Girl. Mob. ancestor Sayajirao Gaekwad -III peanandtraditionalIndianarchi- Kirit Mandir, where Ranjitsinh Fatehsinhrao, Ma Saheb Shan- changed with criss-cross flyovers 09920166694 / had built. tecturalstyles. wascremated,isabout2kmsfrom tadevi (their mother), and now builtundertheJawaharlalNehru [email protected] An inconsolable Anjana Raje Ranjitsinh led these celebra- theLaxmiVilasPalaceandonthe Maharajsaheb(Ranjitsinh).Now, Urban Renewal Mission project Group Tuitions: All Lease / Rental 0070223702-1 Gaekwad, the younger daughter tions that were launched on banksoftheVishwamitririver.Itis mysonswilltakeover,”hesays. on land claimed from Laxmivilas Standards. Both of Ranjitsinh, led her mother March 11, which was also his last the first such memorial for royals Late Fatehsinhrao, the more Palace, there was still agreat deal Pune Mediums. Maths, Tilak Road touch away,tobewiththeotherwomen public appearance. Barodians builtinIndia,saysRanjitsinh’spo- flamboyant of king Prat- of Gaekwad in Vadodara, like Science, Physics, 1600sqft commercial intheDarbarHall,wheretheycol- who broke down in the funeral litical secretary Anand Rao. apsinhrao’s sons, never lived in , the organ- Chemistry, Biology. place on lease. Prime location, 1st floor lectedthemselvesandstruggledto procession recalled seeing Ran- “SayajiraowasinspiredbyEgypt’s Vadodara. He was based in ised marketplace and office of Some commerce, Arts cometotermswiththeloss. jitsinh on a wheel chair that day. pyramids and brought the idea to Mumbai, and so was his wife. the municipal corporation. courses. AIEEE, PMT, Bank, Patsanstha Institute etc. Asthepalanquinwasloadedon Sixty-five-year old Dinkar Pawar, Baroda and built Kirti Mandir, Sangramsinh, the youngest sib- Head from the railway station NEET. Vadodara. a carriage and led away to Kirit who was Ranjitsinh’s personal as- Theothersonlyfollowedsuit,”he ling, who is fighting a legal battle in Pratapgunj, towards Sayaji- 9328976357. (75000Nego) Ct. 8275200167, Mandir, the royal resting place, sistant, stood in the corridor, un- says. Here, under one roof, a over property with Ranjitsinh, gunj, where the Maharaja Saya- 0010035569-1 9822093130. shouts of Maharaja Ranjitsinh ki der Laxmi Vilas Palace’s famous statue of the royals is built after too lives in Mumbai. He arrived jirao University is located, fur- 0090107952-1 jai rent the air and men clad with church-like tower, in a daze. “I theydie. Friday morningfortherites. ther down to Fatehgunj, a Short Courses of dif- peshwa-like-headgear played have been here for 40 years, have “Me Maharajancha Bhagva Ranjitsinh, who lived at Laxmi hotspot where MSU hostels are ferent Varieties. Raghupati Raghav ... on the seenPratapsinhrao,hisfather.His zandachasipahi(Iamasoldierof Vilas with wife Shubhangini Raje, located, besides the biggest Seperate Course for shehnai, taking Vadodara back to (Pratapsinhrao’s)grandfatherwas thesaffronflagofthemaharaja),” sisterMrunaliniDeviPuar,whois public garden, the Sayajibaug Beginners. Contact:- aneralonggone. SayajiraowhosefatherwasKhan- says Balubabu Umratkar, intro- MSU’s vice-chancellor, son garden and Zoo...everything Mrs. Shroff:- 3296385 Ranjitsinh, in fact, was the last derao, you know the Khanderao ducing himself in Marathi. This Samarjit,daughtersAlaukikaRaje has a Gaekwad signature. 0010035039-1