Maharaja Rajendra Narayan Singh Deo: A Man Among Princes

<b>An extraordinary story of a forbearing and compassionate Maharaja, who identified with the masses and worked diligently for his people</b>.<br>Born in a royal family in the erstwhile Bihar and Orissa Province of British India, Maharaja RajendraNarayan Singh Deo was adopted by the Maharaja of Patna State to become heir to a coveted thronethat had witnessed betrayal and tragedy. Educated at the best institutions in India, he became the rulerof Patna State in the turbulent 1930s. Inspired by Gandhian principles of simple living, he remaineddetached from power and implemented in his state a uniquely democratic system of governance,development, infrastructure and welfare measures far ahead of its time. Until one day, it all ended.<br>Rajendra Narayan became the first ruler of a princely state to sign the merger agreement for accessioninto the Union of India in December 1947. Led by his example, other princely states followed suit.He discarded his princely duties and left Patna State, planning to live a simple life in a Himalayancave. But fate had other plans.<br>His people beseeched him to return and take charge of state politics.<br>Throughout his political career, he was lovingly addressed as Maharaja by his people, subordinatesand even other political figures of the time. His legacy of reforming the socio-economic and culturalethos of Odisha and its governance both as Maharaja of Patna and later as a parliamentarian andchief minister of Odisha in the 1960s is an extraordinary tale of service, political acumen andintellectual brilliance.

Categories: Fiction