Mahanaaryaman Rao Scindia: A Modern Prince
We step inside Gwalior's Jai Vilas Palace to meet the young royal balancing legacy, individuality and charm.
It is a rainy Sunday in Gwalior, and the Jai Vilas Palace wears its timeless grandeur like a second skin. Inside the gilded Darbar Hall stands a young man in a double-breasted Raghavendra Rathore suit. At 29, Mahanaaryaman Rao Scindia, fondly called Aary by his mum has the poise of his lineage and the ease of someone very much his own person. The hall around him glitters with history: ceilings with gold patina detailing that together used more than 560 kilograms of gold and towering Osler chandeliers — the second largest pair in the world. Yet, even in this setting of overwhelming magnificence, it is Aary’s presence that draws the eye. Articulate, charming and with a quiet stateliness, he is at once the past and the future of Gwalior’s royal family.
Style, simplicity and substance
A Yale graduate in economics and political science, with schooling at The Doon School, Aaryaman is as comfortable speaking about governance as he is about fashion. His grooming is immaculate, but his personal style leans away from ostentation. “For formal settings, I love wearing tuxedos and suits, and it’s the fine tailoring and craftsmanship that matters the most,” he says, adding, “My personal style is comfort first, and to always be yourself.” It is a refreshing departure from the ornate exuberance often associated with royalty, a sartorial individuality that sets him apart.
The family legacy
The Scindias have long been synonymous with leadership, and Aaryaman has already stepped into a legacy post: President of the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association: the youngest ever to hold the role. His grandfather, HH Maharaj Madhavrao Scindia, and father, Jyotiraditya Scindia, once helmed the same post. Aary is determined to nurture fresh cricketing talent in the state. Politics, though, is not on his immediate horizon. “Right now, the only focus is on cricket,” he says, candidly steering away from speculation about following his father into public life. At home, he shares an especially close bond with his mother, Maharani Priyadarshini Raje Scindia. “He’s the apple of my eye,” she says fondly: a sentiment echoed in the ease with which Aaryaman speaks of family, values and legacy.
Redefining royalty
Ask him what it means to be a royal in contemporary India, and he pauses thoughtfully before answering. “To me, being a royal is less about titles or privileges and more about a way of life grounded in values. It is about carrying forward traditions of service, integrity and leadership. While doing so, it’s important to be progressive and relevant to the needs of society today.” It is this balance of reverence for the past with an eye on the future that defines him: a modern prince with a grounded sensibility.
The private side: Cooking and comforts
Behind the stately aura lies a gastronome who finds comfort in cooking. “I like cooking healthy stuff. I cook for my parents whenever I feel like pampering them,” he admits with a grin. His favourites range from Japanese cuisine to a lighter, healthier take on butter chicken. He even takes us through the palace’s historic kitchens, once a melting pot of Maratha, English and French culinary traditions. Heavy Briffault ovens still stand as relics of another age, so massive they would give even a gym buff pause. For Aaryaman, the kitchen is a place where heritage and personal ritual meet, one ladle of butter chicken at a time.
A passion for automobiles
Equally passionate about his family’s vintage cars, Aaryaman has taken it upon himself to restore their gleaming treasures. Among his prized possessions is a 1961 Ford Thunderbird, showcased proudly in the palace garage alongside other classics. “These are my hidden gems,” he says, adding, “I have been able to restore four of our vintage cars and eight more are in the process.” Each has a story: from a 1928 Rolls-Royce once owned by his ancestors, later gifted to the Nizam of Hyderabad, passed through collectors in the UK and Germany, and finally brought back to India by the Scindias.
Whether restoring cars, leading cricket, or cooking for his parents, he embodies a version of royalty that is as much about relevance as it is about reverence. A crimson dot of vermillion on the forehead, the weight of chandeliers overhead, the roar of a Thunderbird’s engine — the past and present merge seamlessly in his world. Mahanaaryaman, the prince of Gwalior, is not just carrying forward a legacy. He is shaping what it means to be royal today.
