BRIJESHWARI KUMARI GOHIL

SHE BEARS THE TITLE OF PRINCESS, YET SHARES THE SAME PASSIONS AS EVERYONE COOKING, PAINTING AND YOGA AND DELIGHTS IN HER MOTHER’S CHERISHED SARI COLLECTION. YET, SHE HARBOURS A GRANDER VISION: TO BUILD UPON HER FOREFATHERS’ FOUNDATION AND PROPEL HER BELOVED BHAVNAGAR INTO AN EXCEPTIONALLY BRIGHT FUTURE THROUGH HER PRESERVATION AND CULTURAL REVIVAL INITIATIVES. HELLO! VISITS THE SPLENDID NILAMBAG PALACE TO DISCOVER THE YOUNG ROYAL'S INSPIRING MISSION

- ANANYA SHANKAR

“My great grandfather was the first to hand over his kingdom to a democratic India. Growing up, we were told that he always looked at the larger picture. That’s something I try to imbibe from him…”

The year 1723 witnessed Bhavsinhji Gohil establish the enchanting town of Bhavnagar and now, 300 years later, we sit within the walls of his palace, waiting to meet his descendant — the princess. Just as we finish setting up the cameras in their regal library whose walls are adorned with paintings of her ancestors, Brijeshwari Kumari Gohil of Bhavnagar glides in — an absolute vision draped in resplendent gold.

But beneath the veneer of grandeur and lofty lineage, Brijeshwari is entirely unassuming, radiating warmth and with a word of welcome for all. Having spent her formative years in Mumbai and currently shuttling between the city and her hometown, we wonder what it’s like to be a princess in today’s day and age…

“I just feel a sense of responsibility to make an impact in Bhavnagar, of conducting myself in a certain way — being respectful and carrying the family name on in a manner that’s relevant today” she reveals. Because after all, royal or not, “we all strive to balance tradition and modernity, right?”

But the challenge lies in determining what to preserve from the past and how to bring it forward into the future. And well, this princess — armed with a degree in Archaeology and History of Art, Heritage Management and Conservation and a Postgraduate Diploma in Built Heritage Conservation — stands as a formidable champion of historical and cultural conservation.

ROOTED IN ROYALTY

Brijeshwari credits her grounded nature and abundant knowledge to her mother, Samyukta Kumari Gohil of Bhavnagar, who also happens to be her greatest source of inspiration.