How many of us know that there is a third chamber within the parliament house of India. A hall titled originally the Chamber of Princes that was home to an important congregation of Princely states who were part of the Chambers Established by King-Emperor George V’s proclamation after the Government of India Act 1919 was given royal assent. It was the venue where the royal scions of the 127 member states met, the royal insignias of each of these states cast in bronze gracing this circular room.
Anshul Alagh, Safir Anand, Dhyaneshwar Mulay, Anshu Khanna, Varun Khanna, and Rishi Kumar.
Photo is an original from the Chamber of Princes library.
As India achieved its independence and Princely India merged into democratic India, the chambers were converted into the parliament library, conserved by the Archeological Survey of India. The insignias remained a subject of intrigue for the ASI, who were keen to discover which insignia belonged to which erstwhile state. Hence under the recent Parliament library initiative, Council for Royal Roots, a not for profit body founded by the philanthropist Rishi Kumar was invited to submit a document chronicling these insignias and matching them to the state they belonged to.
As part of the advisory committee along with Shri Dhyaneshwar Mulay, better known as the passport man of India, Safir Anand, celebrated IPR lawyer and Princess Vaishnavi Kumari of Kishangarh, I thoroughly revelled in this nostalgia trip. While most of the better-known states’ insignias were easily recognisable, it was interesting to find the story behind the symbols of pride of smaller states. Safir Anand believed that these insignias were, “Part of the intangible heritage of these states that needed to be recognised and protected.”
Council Of Royal Roots looks forward to linking conservation to appreciation of our heritage. The organisation hopes to undertake initiatives that will promote India’s rich cultural heritage to the new generation of Indians and international audience, making it more accessible to a wider public with an inclusive effort while preserving both tangible and intangible heritage of India. It also focuses on national and international tourism enhancement that strengthens the backbone of economic activities, which further generates year-round employment activities for inhabitants in both rural and urban areas. I have more than 15 years of experience in a leadership position with organisations and companies based in India and the USA. His deep interest in social work has led him to work in the mentorship of Honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Late President Dr Kalam for education and digital India.
The parliament house was built in 1920 by the famous architect Sir Herbert Baker. It originally incorporated the central hall, the two chambers (The Central Legislative Agency now the Lok Sabha and the Council of States now Rajya Sabha) and the Chambers of Prince that was a beautifully built space for the royal scions to congregate in.
Formed in 1920, the chamber was the British government’s way of warming up to the creation of the chamber followed by the abandonment by the British of their long-established policy of isolating the Indian rulers from each other and also from the rest of the world.
The Chamber initially consisted of 120 members. Of those, 108 from the more significant states were members in their own right, while the remaining twelve seats were for the representation of a further 127 states. That left 327 minor states, which were unrepresented. Also, some of the more important rulers like the Maratha-ruled states of Baroda State, Gwalior State and Holkar State declined to join it.
The writer is the founder and MD of Council Of Royal Roots.
