A MAHARANEE’S PALACE.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18203, 2 March 1929, Page 9

A MAHARANEE’S PALACE.

WONDERFUL INDIAN HOME. One day the Maharanee Sharuiislith* formerly Miss Nancy Miller of America, will go I * to India with her husband, the -Maharajah of Indore, there to dwell in the wonderful summer pa'ace of the rulers of that State. At present the Maharanee lives in a chateau at St. Gerniain-en-Lave, near Baris. But this French chateau pales beside the lavishness and luxury of Darya Mahal, or the Ocean Palace, to which she will return. It was buiit about a hundred years ago as a summer palace by the late Maharajah, her husband's grandfather. The palace is situated in the wild forests of one of the richest ranges in the jungles of central India. Standing on a small hill on the banks of a tributary of the sacred river Narvada, of prehistoric fame, the Ocean Palace is one of the best specimens of the old type of Indian architecture, combined with the grandeur of the palaces of the Moghuls, who built the wonderful Taj Mahal. It is but a few miles from a railway ’and yet safely secluded from contact with the outside world. The Maharanee has the chief apartments in the western Aving of the palace .and a great deal of refurnishing ciul redecorating has been done in this •uite to please the taste of the former Miss Nancy Miller. The result is that they are now the most finely furnished rooms of the whole palace. The ex-Maharnjah is a great lover of art and during his frequent travels has collected some .of the finest works of Kashmir, Benares. South India, and Mysore. These now decorate the rooms of his wife. He taste in art is indicated by the beautiful marb’e pavilion which he had built in the palace grounds to his own design. One innovation for the Maharanee was the creation of a music room. Avith a beautiful grand piano. This will be used by her for the reception of European visitors. The gilt-legged chairs are cushioned in silk and satin of deep red, and there are three or four specimens tables with marble tops and heavy gilded legs, to match the chairs. In the top of the central table is a magnificent uu.w ■uuiuam. The walls are covered with oil paintings of past rulers. The Maharanee’s reception room for Indian visitors : s appropriately furnished in Indian style. There are no chairs. The floor is laid with a thick, oft, feather-lined quilt-like covering of silk on which to sit. The walls are hung with yellow silk, embroidered with golden thread. Along one wall is a long divan with a raised, throne-like seat in the middle, covered with blue silk and embroidered with gold. Over this is suepended a gold canopy. The sleeping apartments consist of a suite of three rooms. One has a big verandah outside, with a sliding roof, for summer use. The second is more of a boudair than a bedroom, for use as a drcssbig room and for a rest room during the day. The third will probably only be used during the cold winter months. But the most interesting apartment cf the Maharanee’s suite is the small room which has been fitted up for her private worship. In it has been placed It is a bronze alloy figure of the god a statue of the family deity. Jvhnndoba astride a horse, with his wife sitting behind him. Ot'er the statue is a silver canopy supported by four pillars. The statue is adorned with jewel !««■ necklaces and girdles. The A’esseis of worship in this room nre of gold, and there is a silver seat on which the Maharanee wi 1 sit while she worships. The remainder of the suite contains • a special kitchen which has been fitted up for the Maharanee for the preparation of Western dishes. In addition, a special garden with two tennis courts, in the palace park, has been set aside for the Maharanee's use. A couple of miles from the palace is the river bungalow which will be used by the Maharanee when she wishes to spend a little time on the banks of the river .Though it is styled a bungalow, it is almost as large as their French chateau. In spite of the isolated position in which the main palace is situated, the Maharanee will lrte there in all the grandeur of a princess of the reigning family of Indore. An armed State guard of more than 100 soldiers is attached to the palace, while a staff of 500 servants will do her bidding. The park and gardens alone occupy ' * the time of more than 75 attendants. During the summer season the place is something of a gay resort, for all the neighbouring Maharajahs ana Jnjahs go there to visit the exMaharniah. Even in his present French retreat the former ruler of Indore and his wife IniA-e been entertaining a number of \ isiting princes from India.