The Gaekwads, a Maratha clan who were originally the generals of the Peshwas in Maharashtra, carved out a kingdom for themselves in Baroda. The Maratha rulers had a good equation with the British but always maintained their independence in terms of political, social and cultural reforms. Maharaja Sayaji Rao Gaekwad III was considered a legendary king who is compared with great kings of India like Samrat Ashoka, Chandragupata Maurya and others.
The rule of Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III (1875-1939) is considered as the golden period in the history of Baroda. He was the adopted son of Maharani Jamnabai and came to the throne at the age of twelve in the late 19th century. He is well known for the great reforms that he introduced in the field of education, medicine, religious tolerance and administration.
On the occasion of Maharaja Sayajirao’s Gaekwad III’s 150th Birth Anniversary I present this exhibition of 150 paintings based on the life and history of this great king. Since my childhood the personality of Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III’s life has been a consistent source of inspiration in my life. This motivated me to begin work on a detail research project to study the persona of Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III.
My initial approach to revisit this historical figure was based on documenting and studying a variety of archival material available in various private and public collections spread all over India and abroad. But finally what evolved out of this intense association was a series of paintings that represent the details of Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III as a highly versatile and down to earth person.
The process of associating oneself with such a glorious past is definitely very complex and no individual can claim to recreate it in its totality. But it has become the necessity of today’s research that we must be conscious and clearly state our position be it personal or political. I have made a conscious effort to present Shri Sayajirao Gaekwad III in a context that is filled with details of his real life instead of presenting him as a legendary icon. This will help the viewer to connect with a great personality who brought a fundamental change in the history of Baroda state and its people. His engagements with the most crucial aspects of political and social administration and his sense of premonition to see the future effect of these changes are the issues that need to be revived urgently in our present context.
The paintings in this exhibition are arranged chronologically to create a narrative that is accessible to everyone a scholar as well as a common man.
-Chandrasekhar Patil