How Daughter of Providence chronicles Sethu Lakshmi Bayi’s journey from queen to commoner
The Hindu
The exhibition, Daughter of Providence, throws light on the life and times of Maharani Sethu Lakshmi Bayi
There is something about royalty that piques our interest — from what they eat and wear to what they do and where they go, no matter how mundane it might seem when the rest of us indulge in the very same activities.
Now, for the first time ever, the Raja Ravi Varma Heritage Foundation is holding an exhibition titled Daughter of Providence, that showcases the life of Maharani Sethu Lakshmi Bayi, the last ruling queen of Travancore and Raja Ravi Varma’s eldest granddaughter.
According to Gitanjali Maini,Managing Trustee & CEO of the Raja Ravi Varma Heritage Foundation, April 29 was the 176th birth anniversary of the royal artist, Raja Ravi Varma and the exhibition was inaugurated on that day to mark the occasion.
“Every piece in the Daughter of Providence display has not been seen before — whether they are photographs from the family or paintings of the Maharani and her husband. Most importantly, the collection includes a Raja Ravi Varma painting of the Maharani as a baby, somewhere between the age of two-and-a-half and three,” says Gitanjali.
“The entire exhibition has been mounted around this personality, right from the time when she was a toddler, her time as a regent and to the last picture that was taken of her,” she adds.
Gitanjali believes one of the advantages of managing a legacy is the opportunity to pick up on elements and facets. “For instance, Ravi Varma knew very well his granddaughter was going to be adopted into the royal family and he attended her coronation too. Those connections have not really been told by the Foundation or anybody in the art world prior to this. This is the USP of the show because we’re trying to find connections and influences of people who made a difference in the world.”
The Sandeep & Gitanjali Maini Foundation was recognised as the official foundation for anything related to Raja Ravi Varma on February 29, this year.
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