ALWAR'S ROYAL CUSTODIAN PRINCESS JANAKI KUMARI

In love with the arts, this young princess seeks to bring Alwar on Rajasthan's tourist map and restore the stunning paintings of Bundi. In her first-ever photo shoot for a magazine, she gives HELLO! a peek into her life and regal home

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'' I hate makeup. I don't like new jewellery. I don't like anything lab-grown." These statements describe the young princess of Alwar in a nutshell.

Demure, petite and beautiful, Janaki Kumari wears a legacy of nine generations on her sleeve with palpable pride and an unshakeable foundation that wants to hold on to the memories of her forefathers be it in the form of her great-grandmother's pastel tissue saree that she's draped for the shoot, or the tales passed down to her through generations.

Her grandmother's saree becomes the talking point, and for her, it's a trip down memory lane.

"This drape belonged to my great-grandmother, Rani Usha Devi, the princess of Kapurthala, before she married into Alwar. I still remember her she passed away when I was nine. I haven't altered the blouse either; it just fits," she smiles.

Janaki is a figure of poise, charm and elegance as she greets us at Phool Bagh Palace in central Alwar, as we arrive for her first photo shoot for a magazine.

"I love this fountain. It's magical. It adds such a dreamy vibe to the palace!" says Janaki, as she strikes a pose in a bright orange saree. "My grandfather, Jai Singhji, who built Phool Bagh Palace, got this fountain here from the City Palace."

The picture she paints transports us to the glorious days of India's erstwhile princely states, when the palace would have stood tall, the white marble fountain the pièce de résistance of the garden.

"We've been a little out of the public eye, only doing our work in the periphery," she shares.

A freshly-minted lawyer from Delhi University's Faculty of Law, this political science graduate from the city's Lady Shri Ram College decided to return to her roots and work for the people of her city.