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Economic Times

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

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 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 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 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 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 Elevate your knowledge and leadership skills at a cost cheaper than your daily tea. 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