Indira Devi (born as Indira Raje; 19 February 1892 – 6 September 1968) was the Maharani of the princely state of Cooch Behar, British India. She was born a princess of Baroda as the daughter of Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III, by his second wife Chimnabai II.

Following the death of her husband she became regent of Cooch Behar in 1922-1936 during the minority of her elder son Jagaddipendra Narayan. with the princely dalliances ultimately the likely source of the cryptic message George V sent via the India Office, in effect asking her to leave Europe and return to Cooch Behar.

Children

Indira was the mother of three daughters and two sons.

  1. Indira's eldest daughter, Ila, married a prince of Tripura, Ramendra Kishore Dev Varma. Her younger son Bharat Dev Varma took for wife the actress Moon Moon Sen; they are the parents of Indian actors Raima and Riya.
  2. Her elder son, Jagaddipendra Narayan, succeeded his father as Maharaja of Cooch Behar, and was the last ruling prince of his dynasty; Cooch Behar was merged with the Dominion of India (later the Republic of India) during his reign. He had no legitimate children, and was succeeded by his nephew Virajendra.
  3. The second son, Indrajitendra, married a daughter of the Maharaja of Pithapuram estate in present-day Andhra Pradesh. They were the parents of Virajendra and also of Uttara Devi, Maharani of Kotah in Rajasthan.
  4. Indira's second daughter, Gayatri, became the third wife of the Maharaja of Jaipur, and was a noted celebrity in her own right.
  5. Indira's youngest daughter Menaka married the Maharaja of Dewas Jr in central India.

Later life

Indira's elder son assumed full powers as ruler of Cooch Behar in 1936. Indira thereafter spent a major portion of her time in Europe. Indira Devi faced many tragedies in her lifetime. Indira Devi lost two of her children: Princess Ila Devi who died at a very young age and Prince Indrajit Narayan Bhup, who died in an accidental fire leaving behind his wife Princess Kamala of Pithapuram. Maharani Indira Devi spent the last years of her life in Mumbai and died there in September 1968.

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File:Indira Raje Gaikwad.jpg|Indira Raje Gaikwad by Lallie Charles (1911)

File:Philip Alexius de László - Maharani Indira Devi of Baroda and Cooch Behar.jpg|Devi by Philip Alexius de László

File:Manmohan Singh and Gipsy Moth Miss India with Maharanee of Cooch Behar 1930.jpg|Devi with Manmohan Singh, London (1930)

File:Maharaja-Jagaddipendra-Narayan.jpg|Jagaddipendra Narayan

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References

Bibliography

  • Moore, Lucy (2004) Maharanis: the lives and times of three generations of Indian princesses. London: Viking