| Show r OUR INDIAN VISITOR MAHARAJA GAIKWAB RULEB OF BARODA DOING AMERICA Interesting Prince Whose Record tot Goodness Began When He Was n BoyHis Life at Home nnd His Priceless Jeweled Cloak Maharaja Gaikwar Indian princa nnd ruler of Baroda together with Ills pretty wife the Maharanl Gackwar has corne to the United States to seethe see-the country and learn all ho can for tho betterment of his own country and people This purpose reveals the character char-acter of tho man for he Is as proges slue as he Is good and ns good as they make them over in India nail by this wo do not mean to Imply that Maharajas Mahar-ajas goodness Is of a mediocre kind As a boy ho was known for his uprightness up-rightness of character nnd this quality qual-ity has not diminished with the years In fact ns the story goes It was his goodness as a boy which led to his se I selection as the ruler of Bnroda It seems that the former Gaikwar Wilt deposed by the British government for gross misrule and as there Imppenee to be no direct heir to the throne nc cording to the Hindu custom the selection selec-tion of n ruler devolved upon the Mnharanl the wife of tho deposed ruler who has been obliged to lice from her husband to escape death at the bottom of a well After consultation consulta-tion with her guru or godfather she decided that the new Gaikwar should be chosen from among the three best boys In Uaroda From these three most excellent boys the present visitor to the United States was accepted as ad the one of greatest promise to wield the sword of state wisely That this contest of good boys proved a judicious procedure few among the Maharajas 2000000 subjects sub-jects would now question Under his rule the state has progressed steadily and the city of Baroda has been sc modernized with handsome public buildings wide streets and pleasure gardens that It has ceased to bo the typical Hindu capital of the picturesque though malodorous description Personally Per-sonally Maharaja Gaikwar Is a man of much force of character Maharaja Gaikwar rises early and proceeds first to distribute alms to his personal Brahmins or as we would say private chaplains The amount of tho dally gift Is about 15 for which the Brahmins offer a short prayer In his behalf and presence On such festivals as the day of offerings for tho dead and the day of birthday birth-day thanksgiving he attends public worship In the palace temple During the season of mourning all such ceremonies I cere-monies are omitted After his pooja or devotions the Maharaja partakes of a light breakfast of bread fruit and milk Then he rides or drives for an hour or so and returns to the palace pal-ace for reading of a serious character At 11 he lunches with his sons and tho members of his staff This meal Is served In European fashion though no alcoholic liquors are offered and ncedl to say no dish comes upon r I t f r 1 I mi F y a rr t f 1 MAHARAJA GAIKWAR the table which bears the slightest latlonshlp to beef From noon until about four Gaikwnj attends to affairs of state The heads of tho different departments make their reports he revises sentences oi the high court and discusses tho general gen-eral policy of his government Tho Maharaja then visits the Maharani In tho zenana which in his particular household is not nn Inclosed quarter of tho palace but merely the npart ments occupied by his wife Toward sundown tho Maharaja drives out instate in-state escorted by his bodyguard of lancers On such occasions it not in frequently happens that he is offered petitions when ho Instructs ono of his aides to receive them and appoints a time for the petitioner to be received at tho palace On two days of the week he holds public audiences so that he may ho personally accessible to all his subjects I Maharaja Galkwnr possesses the most costly piece of Jewelry in the world In dazzling magnificence It never has been or Is ever likely to be excelled This treasure Is in tho form of a shawl or cloak of woven pearls edged with n hid border of arabesque designs of diamonds rubles emeralds and sapphires Originally It was In tended as a covering for the tomb of Mahomet but somehow it was diverted divert-ed Into a former Gnlkwars possession posses-sion In cold figures tho stones alone have been appraised at 5000000 so when Gaikwar enters a grand dnrbat with thnt cloak over his shoulders his 100000 diamond cap on his head and his 60000 gloves on his hands the scintillating persons of other princes are as flickering candles In a blaze of electric light |
