Amazing Scenes at Maharajah’s Wedding to American Girl

Greymouth Evening Star, 26 May 1928, Page 9

Amazing Scenes at Maharajah’s Wedding to American Girl

LIGHTS, JEWELS AND GOLD ... THE BAND PLAYS "SWANEE RIVER” . . . OBEISANCE TO ELEPHANT GOD — I ——

The marriage of the ex-Maharajah of Indore to Miss Nancy Miller, of America, has created world-wide interest. The following article describes the amazing wedding of this fabulously-wealthy Prince to Miss Miller. ARBED like an Eastern princess, in cloth of gold RMI 'J resplendent with Prffl masses of beautiful 1 jewels, Miss Nancy Miller, the American girl who had recently been converted to Hinduism, on March 18, became the third Maharanee of the ex-Maharajah of Indore. Her fabulously rich husband abdicated from the rule of Indore State in favour of his son, as the result of his alleged attempt to kidnap, in Bombay, a dancing girl and former favourite at his Court —Mumtaz Begum. That incident created intense interest. Mumtaz at the time was motoring with a wealthy protector. The protector was shot dead, and Mumtaz herself was badly wounded. Before- the .marriage of Nancy to her Eastern lover —the marriage lookplace at Burwaha. near Indore, at sunset, the hour fixed as most favourable by the astrologers—there was the ceremony of the betrothal. As a preliminary to this, Nancy was formally received into the ruling family of Holkar, after taking a saffron bath, as the adopted daughter of Colonel Lambhate. The ex-Maharajah then formally asked for the hand of the colonel’s daughter in marriage. Consent was immediately given, and it was announced that the title of the bride would be her Highness Kumari Sharmishtabai Holkar The excitement among the waiting crowd, estimated at 25,000, reached fever-heat, when, toward sunset, the wedding processions began. Preceded by Holkar troops, with fixed bayonets, and by bands of pipers, the bridegroom emerged from his Barwaha Palace riding a richly-capari-soned milk-white steed. He was dressed in white and wore an elabor ate head-dress of pearls. “Swanee River” Played

Amid deafening noise and the firing of many rockets the procession slowly went to the bride's residence. There a smartly attired page summoned, the American girl to proceed to the wedding shamiana or pavilion. In honour of the bride’s native country, the bands at this point played “Swanee River” and “Marching Through Georgia.” When the bride entered the shamiana she was wearing cloth of gold, a pearl tiara, many ropes of pearls around her neck, and pearl wristlets with diamond clasps. She smilingly greeted her friends, and, during the royal Mahratta wedding ritual she repeatedly smiled and whispered to the bridegroom. So desperate had the crush of spectators now become that the troops and police werd almost overwhelmed.

The actual wedding ceremony was performed inside a circle of white threads held by the leading women of the ex-Maharajah’s Dhangar caste, into which sisterhood the bride had previously been formally received. Symbol of Cotton Threads The bride and bridegroom wound the threads around themselves as a symbol that they would remain united throughout life. Afterwards they unwound the cotton, which was then made,into two holy knots, which were tied around their wrists. The girl followed the Vedic rites eagerly and participated freely in the ceremonial, which included the drinking of water with the bridegroom, the sprinkling of rice, and the swearing of vows of fidelity with hands intertwined.

When the religious rites were completed, the senior Maharanee and other women of the Holkar family congratulated (he bride, and the new Maharanee and her husband then mounted a dais, whore the bride had handsomely wrought gold rings put on her toes. After worshipping the sacred fire, the newly married couple drove around the Barwaha Palace grounds in an open carriage amid scenes of intense enthusiasm. Many people prostrated themselves on the approach of the carriage.

• Elephant God Worshipped Fifteen thousand lumps illuminated the grounds, and the pair passed into the palace, which is the summer residence of the Holkar family, under a brilliant triumphal arch On entering the round tower of the paL.ce, the bride and bridegroom were received by the household staff and then proceeded to make obeisance before Gunpati, the elephant god of the Hindus, associated with wisdom and good luck. Trays of money were afterwards distributed by the ex-Maharajah’s orders, a:” 1 the party went upstairs to watch a fireworks display before retiring. A grea ( t banquet, took place in the pa’ace’ grounds, where guests coni’ 'I to make merry almost till midnight. The new Maharanee, it is interesting to note, suffers f rom appendicitis, and it was said at the time of her wedding that after the period of the honeymoon j she was to be operated on for this I complaint.