HELLO! India Exclusive: The royal custodian of Alwar

Demure, petite and beautiful, Janaki Kumari wears a legacy of nine generations on her sleeve with palpable pride and an unshakeable foundation that wants to hold on to the memories of her forefathers — be it in the form of her greatgrandmother’s pastel tissue saree that she’s draped for the shoot, or the tales passed down to her through generations. Her grandmother’s saree becomes the talking point, and for her, it’s a trip down memory lane. “This drape belonged to my great-grandmother, Rani Usha Devi, the Princess of Kapurthala. I still remember her — she passed away when I was nine. I haven’t altered the blouse either; it just fits,” smiles the 27-year-old Princess of Alwar.

Janaki is a figure of poise, charm and elegance as she greets us at Phool Bagh Palace in central Alwar, as we arrive for her first photo shoot for a magazine. “I love this fountain. It’s magical. It adds such a dreamy vibe to the palace!” says Janaki, as she strikes a pose in a bright orange saree. “My grandfather, Yuvraj Pratap Singh ji, who built Phool Bagh, got this fountain from the City Palace.” The picture she paints transports us to the glorious days of India’s erstwhile princely states, when the palace would have stood tall, the white marble fountain the pièce de résistance of the garden. “We’ve been a little out of the public eye, only doing our work in the periphery,” she shares.

Faculty of Law, this political science graduate from the city’s Lady Shri Ram College decided to return to her roots and work for the people of her city. Apart from making Alwar shine on the country’s tourist map, Janaki has had her hands full restoring Bundi’s Garh Palace. Also in the works is a museum that will house an array of rare paintings; she plans to open it to the public by mid or late 2026. “My grandma was the princess of Bundi, her father was the maharao. My father is the trustee of the Kuldevi Ashapura Mataji trust [set up to aid the preservation and restoration of heritage structures],” she explains her Bundi connect.

MISSION BUNDI & ALWAR 

For the princess, it was a no-brainer to leave Delhi’s courtrooms and make the trip back home for good. “After studying at my dream colleges and getting all the degrees I wanted, I finally felt like I should do what I’m passionate about,” says Janaki, who has now taken it upon herself to bring Alwar and Bundi to the forefront of Rajasthan’s tourist map. “Currently, Alwar is just a transit city. People don’t know much about the place, so we should focus on promoting it. We have big plans for Alwar for the next few years,” she says, segueing to another subject close to her heart — armoury.

Alwar Museum — if I may say so myself. It’s my favourite place to visit here,” she enthuses. “A lot of the armoury here was donated by my great grandfather, Tej Singhji. I’ve probably been to the place thousands of times, but every time I visit, I feel there’s something new to learn.” It’s her work for the Bundi Museum that’s taking up her time at present. It was thanks to Janaki’s brother, Prince Manavendra Pratap Singh, that she started restoring Garh Palace. He had been managing Bundi Fort for a while. After observing her 
proclivity for creativity and all things art, he urged her to spearhead the restoration. “To be honest, Bundi is a jewel in the crown of Rajasthan but unfortunately remains lesser known,” she rues. “Lots of historians have said it has some of the best frescoes in India, besides paintings dating back to the 1600s. Some rooms in Garh Palace have paintings from the 1700s. A few of them have not been touched either.” Completely enamoured by Sweden’s exquisite Royal Palace, Janaki’s vision for Garh Palace is clear: “Replete with audio guides and all related information.” She also wants to dedicate a section to armoury in the palace museum.

WHERE ALWAR MEETS DELHI

Now dressed in beige pants and a formal white shirt, the 27-year-old exudes royal charisma, yet remains Gen Z in parts of her persona. Perhaps because she grew up between Delhi and Alwar much like a layperson instead of royalty. A Sanskriti School graduate, she loved coming back home during her vacations. “Everything was normalised when I was growing up. I never really thought I was different or royal per se. It was a smooth transition from Delhi whenever I’d come home. But what’s starkly different from others is the sense of responsibility we take on for ourselves,” she says.

While Janaki’s upbringing was dotted with tales of her legacy, among her favourites was the one of her dadi sa’s pet lioness! “My [paternal] grandmother was such an animal lover. She even had a pet lioness  right here in the royal residence!” she says. “My maternal grandfather once told me how he came to Phool Bagh with his wife, and one day, a lioness just walked past him! He was shocked to see a big cat just  casually stroll by. Being an animal lover, it’s one of my most favourite stories. The lioness stayed with her till the late 1960s or 70s, till the Wildlife Act was passed.”

THE PRINCESS & THE PEOPLE

You can take a princess out of Delhi’s courtrooms but cannot take law out of her life. Janaki and her older sister Manavi Kumari — both lawyers — have conducted legal awareness drives and camps in Alwar to educate people, especially the youth, on their legal rights, to ensure her “degree doesn’t go to waste.”

“I advocate alternative dispute resolution, which is like mediation, conciliation and arbitration, and Lok Adalats, which are effective ways to resolve minor disputes,” she explains her initiative. “We’ve also collaborated with an NGO in Jodhpur that educates people here about cyberbullying and sextortion. We want to talk about issues relevant to the youth.” As the sun sets on our day together, Janaki joins us for a traditional royal spread, where Alwar’s famous milk cake, kadhi kachori and rabri remain the highlights. It’s here, in the comfort of her ancestral dining room, that her pride in her heritage shines brightest.

In balancing her roles — lawyer, preservationist, and custodian of culture — Princess Janaki Kumari embodies a new generation of royalty: rooted in history yet determined to shape the future of Alwar and Bundi for generations to come. 

PHOTOGRAPHY: ABHISHEK KHANDELWAL

STYLING: AMBER TIKARI

HAIR & MAKEUP: BIMLA RAJPUT

This story was featured in the Vol 1. Issue 5 of HELLO! India. For more exclusive stories, subscribe to the magazine here.