Teeny Weeny Maharani Of Gwalior

The teeny-weeny Maharani of Gwalior

Heart of India Madhya Pradesh

Maharani Chinku Rani Saheb

About four feet three inches tall

Married to the Maharaja

Was unaware of her height

Until he saw Maharani Chinku Rani

Only at the time of their marriage

As if she was Maharaja Madhorao Scindia’s         

Little play puppet on his thumb

A Marionette hand drawn

With paints and a pen

Was indeed a heroine of his royal parlour suite

Of magnificent Jai Vilas heritage Palace

She lived in a dainty little doll house

About twenty inches big

I crafted her into my great imaginary fantasy story

Of a True-Bred Maharani from Indian History

As a story teller narrates into a fairy folktale……

Teeny-weeny furniture made of walnut wood

Influenced by French and Victorian styles

Decorated the wee rooms inside her wee doll house

Had even a teeny-weeny room for herself

A teeny-weeny bed just to fit herself well

Say about four inches wide

And four inches long

So while she slept, he peeped like a peeping tom

He made her a large vanity mirror

Just twelve inches tall to see her beautiful face

Tailored rich garments and shoes

In a tiny shoe tree showcase

 Displayed all shoes in her teeny-weeny room

As well as tunics and petticoats

For her to prink up like his marionette doll

A teeny cupboard filled with teeny-weeny blouses

Gagra’s to match her array of Chanderi sarees

A length of a child’s play it measured

You caught in them a glimpse of the full moon

Its brocades and jerry merry works on her petite frame

In contrast to his rich royal turban that rolled out

Twenty meters long

It required hands of thirty chaperons to fit it on

 

Being yet so tiny

As much as a thumb

She dictated the rules from her pulpit throne

So powerful King’s thumb puppet doll

Contended a great rivalry

 To fight the impending battle

Seated high atop Maharaja

As if on the tip of his Pagadi

The Maharaja placed teeny-weeny Queen

 On the highest pedestal

 Whilst he pulled reigns of his horses

She helped him manoeuvre

 Being a bold and skilful horsewoman

Used both spear and needle eye sword

On the battlefield against Lord Arthur Wellesley

In 1803 Great Battle of Assaye

Like Maharaja’s rattle in a thimble…….

Her armour of knave suit she wore

With a lance in hand

As if an infant in his arms

Just to testify to everybody

His Great Midget Maharani warrior of Gwalior

Make a befitting entrance along with

Rest Knights of the battalion army

Just fit in to score and scour

Rightly through the dense helmets

Of the enemy armies, blinding their eyes

Or lancing off noses

In a blink or so

Poking with her sharp needle eye sword

Ten fold the power of a thousand cavalcades

That proceeded behind the King’s cavalry

In their suits and armours

With their helmets, shields and cutlass blades

The teeny-weeny Maharani of Gwalior too stringing behind

 Her soldiers by a thread

Proved to be a one woman army of Maharaja Scindia

His soul mate and conqueror

Bravely fought army of the British usurpers

She destroyed with a tiny

Swish of just her cutlass needle eye

 

Baiza Bai another of the Maharaja’s wives

Her equestrian skill and martial bearing

Who challenged the patriarchy

A trailblazer

One more Vijaya Raje Scindia Sahiba

Active in high politics of Scindia Durbar

However Maharani Chinku Thumbelina Rani Saheb

He loved and adored from all rest Queen’s

Fashioned everything she needed or desired

Customised everything to her petite frame

Indeed Maharani Chinku Rani Saheb

 Truly proved to be his favourite

Motivator and inspiration

Fashionista and social reformer

Who loved to read, travel

And collect rare, out of this world curios and antiques

That even today amuses people at the museum display

Like the Princess and a pea!

 

All was but a perfect play of hand and puppet

Finger and thumb

To prove how powerful was the teeny-weeny wife

Of the handsome Puppet Master King

The Teeny-Weeny Maharani of Gwalior Fort

In comparison to the roof top palace where hung

The heaviest crafted chandelier

Rocked the ceiling and danced

For the roof was tested with a standing power

Of ten mighty elephants and their trunks

To show how candid

Just a queen as big as a thumb

With loyalty evoked in her people a spirit

For Freedom

The Maharaja of Gwalior

Even made her a train

To sit at the wheel

While it drove with the richest and

Most delicious fruits, wines and meads

The passengers were the guests invited to the ball

With one command of high hand

Would her Silver Toy train stop

Out was poured the wines and spirits

The gravies, soups and vegetables

Then once again moved the wheels

On the train tracks of the table

To the next passenger or guest

Seated at the long ended tother side

Of the never ending dinner hunt at

The longest dinner table

And with a curtsy

The Teeny-Weeny Maharani of Gwalior Fort

Hoisted up her flag

“Janda Uncha Rahe Hamara!”

As the King sported a rich red and saffron teeny-weeny tilak

On his forehead

Bearing the title

“Little Queen of India Rests here”

With numerous ladder rungs she climbed

Sprinkled with a teeny-weeny Thali

Flowers upon saffron, red and orange

 Jolly Kumkum Dot on his head!