The 26th amendment of the Indian Constitution of 1971 abolished the monarchy and stepped into the modern world of democracy. A number of royal families lost much of their wealth, assets, status and fame during that period but some successfully survived and managed to keep a large portion of their fortunes for a luxurious life in the future. These families have transformed their assets and properties to blooming businesses and hence derive enough profits to lead a wealthy life. Here’s a compilation of the wealthiest royal families of India.
- Mewar Dynasty- One of the oldest and most famous royal families of India, the Mewar dynasty has an ancestral history of being the lineage of the famous Maharana Pratap. This dynasty is currently headed by the 76th custodian Rana Sriji Arvind Singh Mewar. The royal family resides at the city of Udaipur, Rajasthan and owns heritage resorts and hotels, charitable institutions which include the HRH Group of Hotels that has 10 hotels under it.
- The Royal Lineage of Jaipur- This family is supposedly the descendants of the Rajput clan Kachhwahas who claimed to be the descendants of Kush (son of Lord Rama). The last titular head of Jaipur, His Highness Bhawani Singh had declared his daughter’s son Padmanabh Singh as the King of Jaipur. He was a national level polo player. The family’s current worth is $2.8 million.
- The Royal Wadiyar Family- The current titular Maharaja of Mysore, Yaduveera Krishnadutta Chamaraja Wadiyar. The famous silk brand The Royal Silk of Mysore is owned by this family along with assets and lands whose total worth is around Rs. 10,000 crores.
- The Royal Lineage of Rajkot- breaking away from the clichéd idea of investing ancestral properties into luxury palaces and hotels, this royal family from Rajkot, currently headed by Yuvraj Mandhatasinh Jadeja, has invested hundreds of crores of rupees in biofuel development and hydropower plants.
- Nawabs of Pataudi- This household was previously led by the former captain of the Indian cricket team, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi and is currently being headed by the Bollywood heartthrob Saif Ali Khan. Besides his income from acting, they also own the Ibrahim Palace which is currently being used as the Neemrana Hotels for tourists. The real estate property worth of the Pataudi family is estimated to be over Rs. 750 crores.
- The Gaekwad Family of Baroda- The current titular head of this royal family from Baroda is Samarjitsinh Gaekwad. The family owns over Rs. 20,000 crores in property and the King has also inherited the Laxmi Vilas Palace that is four times bigger than Buckingham Palace.
- The Royal Family of Jodhpur- One of the richest royal families in India, this family owns the best luxury hotels and palaces in India and the state is currently headed by Maharaj Gaj Singh II. The family also owns the largest private residence in the world, Umaid Bhavan and one of the largest forts in the world, the Mehrangarh Fort.
