Royal Fables returns to New Delhi with its fifteenth version, bringing with it the erstwhile grandeur of princely India reimagined for the trendy world. Presented in affiliation withSONACHAANDI by the home of Shilpi Gupta and Atul Jewellers, the one-day pop-up will showcase India’s royal heritage by way of crafts, delicacies, couture, and collectibles.
Among the many highlights, on show will likely be the Karkhana Chronicles — a marketing campaign, that includes collaborations between royal households and artisans, that focusses on preserving India’s textile heritage by supporting artisan communities, significantly these impacted by the pandemic — and a tribute to palace ateliers nonetheless alive in forts and havelis.
You may anticipate Kitchen of the Kings, an immersive path of misplaced recipes from royal kitchens, andRegal Retail Therapy,a handpicked edit of luxurious handcrafted items for connoisseurs. Anshu Khanna, curator of Royal Fables, shares, “The focus is on young royals, this year. We have ten young royals participating. The platform allows them to showcase their work and is intended to keep the craft tradition alive.”
Kunwar Yaduveer Singh Bera
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Kunwar Yaduveer Singh Bera is reviving Bera jackets. Each piece is hand made with conventional methods, impressed by the landscapes of Jawai ( a small village situated in Pali district of Rajasthan) and the legacy of Bera. The assortment traces its historical past to the early twentieth Century, when Captain Prithi Singh Bera, great-grandfather of Yaduveer Singh, designed the first quilted jackets for the royal polo fields and looking expeditions. “They were worn by Rajput communities, royal guests visiting Jodhpur and Udaipur (and Baroda), and those connected to the royal families. These jackets were given as souvenirs or gifts representing Indian art. In Rajasthan’s cold winters, men wore them over bandgalas, and women wore them over sarees. The core purpose of the Bera jacket brand is to revive the traditional art of quilting and the creation of fulgars (jackets or coats),” says Yaduveer.
Maharani Shailja Katoch of Kangra
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Born and raised in Sailana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharani Shailja Katoch of Kangra inherited the love for meals from her grandfather and great-grandfather, who had painstakingly collected heirloom recipes from over 500 royal Indian households. After her marriage, when she moved to Kangra, Shailja found the wealthy custom of dham delicacies — a vegetarian feast intrinsic to the cultural cloth of the hills.
“Dham is a vegetarian cuisine cooked by Brahmins called boties in the hills of Kangra. For this event, we are showcasing classics such as ma ki dal (black lentils), palda (a curd-based curry), matra (made with kihi), sepu badi (local lentil dumplings), chuhare ka raita (date raita), meethe chawal (sweet rice), and badana (gram flour dumplings),” says Shailja.
Charu Singh
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Charu Singh, co-curator of Royal Fables, shares, “The focus is on bringing in designers who emphasise Indian aesthetics, by preserving and modernising heritage, and those who are dynamic and active in the art scene.”
Mrinalini Kumari Lunavada
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Mrinalini Kumari Lunavada, who launched her dwelling furnishing model, Loonawara, 4 months in the past, traces her inspiration to the 600-year-old palace in Lunavada, Gujarat, the place she grew up. She says, “My family’s history goes back to the Chalukyas of Patan. The label is based on the palace that I grew up in — adorned with frescoes, wall paintings, intricately carved facades and doorways. Many of the palace’s carvings were detailed with hidden animals — birds, lions, monkeys, squirrels — that now inspire my collections.”
The assortment additionally options wildlife work, many of which draw inspiration from the images by Mrinalini and her father. At the occasion, Loonawara brings cushion covers with wildlife motifs, desk mats bordered with mural-inspired artwork, lampshades, cocktail napkins, and choose furnishings items, all echoing the palace she grew up in.
The prouducts are priced ₹5000 onwards.
The fifteenth Edition of Royal Fables will likely be held in New Delhi, on August 22, at the Oval Room, Mansion, Hyatt Regency, from 11am to 8pm.
