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Move over SoBo, Lutyens...Jaipur's where they really Royalty cosplay

Move over SoBo, Lutyens...Jaipur's where they really Royalty cosplay

Economic Times24-05-2025
JI HUZOOR, NAHIN HUZOOR, THREE BAGS FULL HUZOOR Yes, parties still happen in Mumbai and Delhi. But where does Dua Lipa perform on NYE? Where do film stars go when they want privacy? Jaipur. The Pink City has nurtured a distinct party culture that isn't a spillover from Delhi or Bollywood but something its own. Jaipur has long had its high-society ecosystem, rooted in royalty, polo, and heritage venues, drawing elite celebs, both Indian and global. Grand palace hotels offer a kind of luxury that Mumbai and Delhi, for all their opulence, struggle to replicate.
But Jaipur has also evolved. A newer creative class - designers, artists, hoteliers - has deepened the city's cultural capital. Edgy new labels blend modern minimalism with craft heritage. Design schools thrive alongside block printers. Art residencies and pop-ups share space with durbars. Vivienne Westwood may still launch in Mumbai. But Rahul Mishra takes Rajasthan to Paris Couture Week.
Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) began at the historic Diggi Palace. Even as it now unfolds across larger venues like Hotel Clarks Amer, its spirit remains royal boho. A writer's ball at The Leela Palace, a poetry reading under frescoed ceilings... the result is a literary scene with enough glitter to keep the global gaze returning. The polo circuit is key. Padmanabh Singh, 'maharaja' of Jaipur, is often dubbed the 'new polo prince'. Many of the city's exclusive parties orbit around the sport, bringing together aristocrats, industrialists, and an international crowd. These gatherings double as soft diplomacy and old-money networking, wrapped in candlelight and couture.Where designers once came to Jaipur to 'source', Ralph Lauren recently sponsored a gala dinner to raise funds for the Princess Diya Kumari Foundation. Diljit Dosanjh has performed here. International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA) chose Jaipur for its silver jubilee ceremony.At least one princess of yore now serves as a luxury brand ambassador. Gayatri Devi, 'brand ambassador of Rajasthan', never exchanged her name for official endorsement. She was a real princess -- until India abolished titles in 1971.Does an active - even public - palace life contribute to Jaipur's contemporary relevance? There's a connection between private palace parties shared on social media, and Jaipur's climb on global 'best party cities' lists. If Gaj Singh - who made Jodhpur a post-liberalisation destination by turning one part of his palace into a heritage hotel and hosting elite New Year parties - then descendants of Jaipur's royalty have carried that spirit forward by carving a niche for a certain kind of party, ticking all the right boxes of local heritage and global polish. Socially exclusive, but not as performative as Delhi. Culturally insidious in its way. If you're not inside the palace rubbing shoulders with modern courtiers, you're at the hotel next door, close enough to feel the aura. There's a sense of authenticity to the 'heritage'. A 2019 Daily Mail story asked, 'Would you go and stay with the world's most eligible royal?' It continued, 'Maharajah of Jaipur, 21, who's just listed his palace on Airbnb, boasts a £500 mn fortune, has modelled for D&G, and counts A-listers as friends.'It's about old-money ease, and quiet cultural prestige - the kind of soft spectacle where the powerful flex their might be it via an untagged post, or a centuries-old motif reinterpreted on a linen napkin. Just ask Priyanka Chopra Jonas. Or David Beckham.But Jaipur's cultural success also raises an unresolved question: should we still be backing a 'princess' brand in a land where royal titles were abolished by law? India was meant to break from feudalism, not repackage it for global consumption. Yet, the appetite for soft power royalty remains, just as Britain clings to the Windsors, or binges on 'The Crown'. Now, we too have 'Royals', a fictional version on a streaming platform. The difference? Brits still have a real crown. For us, as one 'royal' insider put it, 'It's a shortcut. The dazzle isn't built on substance. That makes it an unstable model.'Still, the illusion holds - by filtered Instagram stories, curated guest lists, and a heritage that never fades. The crowns may be gone, but in Jaipur, performative royalty plays on: globally admired, digitally staged, and always just out of reach. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this column are that of the writer. The facts and opinions expressed here do not reflect the views of www.economictimes.com.) Elevate your knowledge and leadership skills at a cost cheaper than your daily tea. The BrahMos link that fired up this defence stock 45% in one month
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What happened to UAE's Iceberg Project? The ambitious plan to haul a colossal Antarctic iceberg to the coast of Fujairah
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What happened to UAE's Iceberg Project? The ambitious plan to haul a colossal Antarctic iceberg to the coast of Fujairah

The UAE Iceberg Project planned to tow a massive Antarctic iceberg 6,480 nautical miles to Fujairah but faced major challenges and remains unfulfilled/ Representative Image In a region where rain is rare and water more precious than oil, the United Arab Emirates once had its sights set on an audacious engineering marvel: towing a gigantic Antarctic iceberg to its sun-baked coast to quench thirst, summon clouds, and maybe even reshape climate patterns. But as of 2025, the only glacier ice that has made it to Dubai is not floating off the coast but chilling highball glasses in rooftop bars, courtesy of a boutique Greenland startup. The UAE Iceberg Project : Cold Ambitions in a Hot Desert Launched in 2017 by the National Advisor Bureau Limited, a private Abu Dhabi-based company, the UAE Iceberg Project sought to tow a massive tabular iceberg, measuring roughly 2 kilometers long by 500 meters wide, from Antarctica to Fujairah, a coastal emirate on the Gulf of Oman. 3D concept of the iceberg stationed roughly 3 kilometers off the coast of Fujairah for harvesting/ Image: National Advisor Bureau Ltd. The logic, according to Abdulla Alshehi, the firm's managing director and the project's chief architect, was straightforward: an average iceberg holds over 20 billion gallons of fresh water, enough to supply 1 million people for five years. 'This is the purest water in the world,' he told Gulf News in 2017. And the UAE, consuming 15% of the world's desalinated water and facing depleting groundwater within 15 years, was in no position to ignore unconventional ideas. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Premium 1 BHK at Mahindra Citadel – Coming Soon! Mahindra Citadel Enquire Now Undo The iceberg, selected via satellite near Heard Island in the Southern Ocean, would undertake a 12,000-kilometer (≈6,480 nautical miles), 10-month journey across the Southern, Indian, and Arabian Seas to reach the coast of Fujairah in the UAE. Towed by large ocean-going vessels, it would travel northward through the Indian Ocean before entering the Gulf of Oman. Upon arrival, it would be stationed roughly 3 kilometers off Fujairah's coast. Harvesting would begin immediately, with the aim of extracting potable water within two to three months before significant melting occurs. 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MoS Margherita says India, South Africa relations based on mutual trust
MoS Margherita says India, South Africa relations based on mutual trust

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MoS Margherita says India, South Africa relations based on mutual trust

Last Updated: Johannesburg, Jul 26 (PTI) 'Relations between India and South Africa are based on shared history, mutual trust and goodwill," said Union Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita in South Africa on Saturday. 'India's engagement with Africa, including South Africa, is guided by the principles of Prime Minister Modi. Our engagement with Africa is not transitional; it is transformational," he said while addressing a gathering of Assamese expatriates and Indian-origin South Africans here. Margherita said that India regards its diaspora as one of its greatest assets while seeking their support 'to strengthen the India-South Africa relationships." He urged the diaspora to continue to launch new ventures, initiate joint projects, create more jobs and explore new markets together in India, South Africa and beyond. Margherita wrapped up his 10-day visit to three southern African countries–Eswatini, Lesotho and South Africa–on Saturday and left for Dubai. Earlier this week, Margherita participated in the 4th meeting of the G20 Development Working Group, held in the iconic Kruger National Park, hosted by South Africa, which currently holds the G20 Presidency. PTI FH RD RD RD Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Vadodara artists add creative touch to India-aided Hanimaadhoo Airport in Maldives
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