THE Bastar Raj mahal, renowned for Maharaja Pravir Chandra Bhanjdev, is set to host a royal wedding after a gap of 107 years. The last such ceremony took place in 1918 when Rudra Pratap Dev ascended the throne. Now, after five generations, Maharaja Kamal Chand Bhanjdev of Bastar is preparing to tie the knot on February 20. The grand celebration has sparked immense excitement among the people. The wedding of Maharaja Kamal Chand Bhanjdev marks a significant milestone in the history of Bastar’s royal family. The palace last witnessed a royal wedding when Rudra Pratap Dev, born in 1891, married Chandradevi in 1918.

 

After his first wife’s untimely demise, he remarried, and since then, no reigning king of Bastar has had their wedding at the Rajmahal. Rajguru Naveen Thakur informed that Maharaja Pravir Chandra Bhanjdev’s wedding to Vedvati took place in Delhi in 1961. Similarly, Vijay Chandra Bhanjdev's marriage to Hitendra Kumari was held in Gujarat in 1954, and Bharat Chandra Bhanjdev also tied the knot with Krishna Kumari in Gujarat. The sisters of Pravir Chandra Bhanjdev were married off during the British era. Although Maharaja Kumar Harihar Chandra Bhanjdev's wedding was held at the palace about 35 years ago, he was not the reigning monarch.

 

The upcoming wedding of Maharaja Kamal Chand Bhanjdev with Maharajkumari Bhuvaneshwari Kumari, daughter of Maharaja Shivendra Pratap Singh of Kila Nagod (MP), is scheduled for February 20. In preparation for the grand event, the Bastar Rajmahal, built in 1890, has been lavishly decorated. Catering services and traditional Rajasthani shamianas have been arranged to create an unforgettable experience. The people of Bastar are eagerly awaiting this momentous occasion, which will revive the rich traditions and cultural heritage of the region. The royal wedding promises to be a spectacle, filled with grandeur and splendor, marking a new chapter in the history of the Bastar Rajmahal.