When we think of royalty, we think of diamonds, palaces and all things luxury. We also know that royals often acted on their whims; one moment, they might have bought an elephant because it looked cute, and the next, they might have given up all of their wealth. But some Indian royals took royalty and whim a tad bit too seriously. They spent their money on some of the most bizarre things, which will make you say, “Are you serious?” Buckle up to read about the most bizarre things owned by Indian royals because it’s going to be a fun ride.

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Diamond as a paperweight

Mir Osama Ali, one of the richest people of his time, was all about opulence. Back then, he possessed the historic Jacob diamond, the fifth-largest polished solitaire in the world, but that’s not the jaw-dropping bit. He used this diamond as a paperweight! Yes, you read that right. In today’s time, this diamond is valued at ₹1,000 crore and is currently in the Reserve Bank of India.

Guinness Book-worthy, vessels

You might have been born with a silver spoon, but do you hold a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for owning the largest silver vessels? Well, Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh II does. The Maharaja used to travel to England quite often, and his one big struggle was carrying Ganga jal. That’s when he asked his servants to create these two enormous vessels. Fourteen thousand silver coins were melted to make these vessels and they collectively weigh 242.7 kg.

A personal railway line

The Maharaja of Indore, Holkar II, was quite fascinated with automobile engineering, so much so that he built a private line for his personal use so that he could travel peacefully between his palaces. So, the next time your mother tells you you’re lazy, tell her you’re just royal.

Model silver train

If you think serving food on a toy train is a new concept, you’re wrong. The Maharaja of Gwalior, Madho Rao Scindia, built a real silver model train that would hold all imported cigarettes and liquor that would circle around the royal banquet table, allowing guests to pick up whichever pack or bottle they wished to. Now, that’s some real hospitality.

Hardcore dog lover

The Maharaja of Junagadh, Muhammad Mahabat Khan III, was quite a dog lover. He owned 800-2,000 dogs, and if you think that’s an obsession, just wait. He spent approximately ₹20 lakh to get two of his favourite dogs married!

Rolls Royce as garbage trucks

If we had to choose a winner, it’s going to be the Maharaja of Alwar, Jai Singh Prabhakar. He once visited a Rolls Royce showroom in London and was dismissed by the salesman as a “poor Indian man”. To seek revenge, he purchased 10 Rolls Royce cars and announced that they would be used to pick up garbage across his kingdom.

Which of these things owned by Indian royals made you gasp?

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