Honour to the Hilt

On the 80th anniversary of the royal armoury, Shree Pratap Shastragar, at Lakshmi Vilas Palace, Spice brings you the stories behind the exquisite craftsmanship of their sword collection.

- BANDEEP SINGH

HINDWANI DEVIKAVACH (DURGA) The sword bears the nine incarnations of Goddess Durga as defined by iconography with the names as described in Durgasaptashati, the Hindu religious text. It is a rare sword, which has chiselled the nine forms of the great goddess of war in a 200-year-old style. The hilt has gold inlay work and the blade is watered in Jhaverdar steel.

The opulent chambers of Lakshmi Vilas Palace, the sprawling palace residence of the Gaekwad Family, the erstwhile rulers of Vadodara are reservoirs of artistic heritage, showcasing enviable collections of art and antiquities, which are open to the public. While the Palace is famous for housing the largest private collection of Raja Ravi Varma Paintings, the Pratap Shastragar or the Armoury museum is another of its treasures. Home to more than 2000 rare swords, the museum is a pilgrimage for hoplologists (scholars of weapons ). The historical swords in the collections provide rare and intimate insights about their famous owners and fascinate with their intricate details and stories. The following pages showcase a selection of some of the finest pieces in the museum.