[nukkad] Insight India : 25 A

[Zaveri Rohit <>]

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Hi friends,                                                         The
legends that surround India's princes ( Maharajas & Nawabs) was generally
the work of a relatively small number of their company, those rulers with
untold wealth, the time and the appetite to indulge their most imaginative
fantasies. A series of consuming passions united those extravagant
gentlemen and they pursued them with rare devotion. Hunting, cars, sport,
their palaces and pets and harems all figured among them, but most often
jewels were a Maharaja's best friends.
The Maharaja Gaikwad of the state of Baroda, north of Bombay, practically
worshipped gold and precious stones.( It may be in place to note here that
the world's second most valuable diamond, Moon Of Baroda, once belonged to
the royal treasury of Maharaja of Baroda. It was mined from the same
Golconda mines of the Deccan as was the famous Kohinoor. Moon of Baroda now
rests in a private collection of an American millionaire.). His court tunic
was of spun gold and only one family in his state was allowed the craft to
weave its threads. The fingernails of each member of the family were grown
to extraordinary length, then cut and notched like the teeth of a comb so
they could caress the gold threads into perpendicular perfection.
His collection of priceless historic diamonds also included the Star of the
South, rated seventh biggest diamond in the world, and the diamond offered
by Napoleon III to Eugenie. The most precious bauble in his treasure chest
was a collection of tapestries made entirely of pearls into which had been
woven ornate designs of rubies and emeralds.
More of Indian diamonds that glittered the world in the next posting.
Cheers, diamonds are for breakfast.
Indeed, if India had a ruthless Emperor, he would have said to the starving
people :'If you do not have bread, eat diamonds'. Fortunately we had our
stock of diamonds but missed out on that Emperor ! 
Rohit Zaveri. 



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