While India’s royalty lost its official powers when the nation gained independence in 1947, their grandeur and lifestyle are still being talked about. Celebrating the charisma of the Indian royalty, Moolagundam Art Gallery presented a rare exhibition of a collection of vintage photographs of the kings and rulers of 81 princely states of India taken by the royal photographer Raja Deen Dayal (Musavvir Jung) during the 19th century.
An exhibition titled “The Constellation” being held at the Moolagundam Art Gallery presented a rare collection of vintage photographs of the kings and rulers of 81 princely states of India taken by Raja Deen Dayal during the 19th century.
“Raja Deen Dayal, also known as the ‘Father of Photography in India’, was popular in various courts and darbars across the country for his signature style of photography. His photographs depict not just the kings and nawabs of the era but also the distinctive culture, fashion, jewels and style that trended during that time in different parts of the country. It may be noted here that Raja Deen Dayal has managed to add 3D value to his portraits by capturing the mood, culture, costumes, and appearance of his subjects, all in one frame,” said Priyanka Gupta, the curator of the show.
All the 81 portraits of Indian royalty happen to belong to the personal collection of the owner of the gallery, Krishna Moolagundam. “Collecting different and exquisite artworks and vintage photographs is a part of my family tradition. While some of the exhibited pictures were purchased by me at various auctions, the others belong to my ancestors’ collections. I started collecting these rare works in 2010 and soon after, a friend of mine suggested that it would be lovely for everybody to have access to these portraits,” the art connoisseur said.
The exhibition features some of the rarest works of Raja Deen Dayal, including portraits of the Nizam of the Deccan, the Maharaja of Kashmir, the Maharaja of Idar (now a town in Sabarkantha district, Gujarat), and the Raja of Rutlam among others. “Every portrait contains a brief description of the location where it was taken so as to help people relate to the place in the modern day context. For example, there are pictures of the rulers of Dhar, Charkhari, Khilchipur, Sirmur, and several other places which the general public does not know much about,” Priyanka said. The exhibition not only brought people closer to the rich lifestyle of the erstwhile rulers but also helped them understand their culture. In many photographs, the kings are seen wearing almost identical robes with a sun stitched on it - and the size of the sun varies according to the vastness of their kingdom, thereby giving the audience a glimpse of the world unknown.
