NILGIRI (Princely State)

  
AREA:  736 km2 PRIVY PURSE:  40,000R  ACCESSION:  1st January 1948
STATE:  Orissa DYNASTY: Bhanj RELIGION:  Hindu
POPULATION:  50,972 (1892)    
     
PRESENT RULER: Raja JAYANT CHANDRA MARDRAJ HARICHANDAN, 39th Raja Saheb of Nilgiri since the 30th May 2001
born 1956, educated at Hartley's School, Calcutta, at Stewart School, Cuttack, at Rajkumar College, Raipur and is a graduate from BJB College, Bhubaneswar; he is a very strong enthusiast and activist in the Preservation of Wild Life; Life Member and former Vice President of the Governing Council of Rajkumar College, Raipur; Member of INTACH (Indian National Trust of Art and Cultural Heritage); married Rani Manoj Manjari Devi, eldest daughter of Raja KIRTI CHANDRA Deo Harishchandra Jagadev of Surangi, and his wife, Rani Soubhagya Manjari Devi; she was educated at St. Joseph’s Convent and Sailabala Women’s College, Cuttack and has a diploma in Interior Decoration and a Post Graduate Degree in Psychological Counselling. She is a Reiki Grandmaster (Reiki is a healing therapy recognized by the W.H.O. as an alternate therapy). She is the Director of SVADHYAYA FOUNDATION involved in Reiki teaching and practising. She is also a Founder member of AOL Bhubaneswar Chapter. She is proud to have represented AOL in World Faith Conference in 1999 as its youngest delegate. She was associated with the Training Division of AMWAY INTERNATIONAL, which was awarded for its express efforts at setting up the Pick up Centre at Bhubaneswar. She is the Hereditary Trustee and President of Nilgiri Debotar and is involved in many religious and charitable services through it. She is a Trustee of VISAMO FOUNDATION involved in educating brilliant children from BPL families. Besides Social activities, her literary awards have been rewarded by Swami Tejomayananda in Chinmay International Magzines. Some of her works have been published in Asian Age, Sambad and Bhubaneswar Club Magazine of which she was on the Editorial Board. She has addressed the Rotary Club of Bhubaneswar on two occasions, once on Reiki and recently on Life After Death; and has issue, one son.
  • Yuvraj Janmajay Mardaraj, born around 1986.
PREDECESSORS AND SHORT HISTORY:  Founded in 1125?. Rulers were...
  • Raja NARAYAN SINGH Bhujang Mandhata Birat Basant Harichandan 1521/1564, a scion of the Chhota-Nagpur Royal Family, married about 1510, a daughter of Raja Pratap Rudra Dev of Orissa.
  • ...... (23 intervening rulers)
  • Raja RAM CHANDRA MARDRAJ HARICHANDAN 1797/1832
  • Raja GOVIND CHANDRA MARDRAJ HARICHANDAN 1832/1833.
  • Rani Chira Devi 1833/1843 
  • Raja KRISHNA CHANDRA MARDRAJ HARICHANDAN 1843/1893, born 1827, succeeded 22nd November 1832 (#1), title of Raja formally recognised in 1874.
  • Raja SHYAM CHANDRA MARDRAJ HARICHANDAN 1893/1913, adopted in 1882, son of Maharaja KRISHNA CHANDRA BHANJ of Mayurbhanj, married, and had issue, one son and one daughter.
    • Raja KISHOR CHANDRA MARDRAJ HARICHANDAN (qv)
    • Rani Basant Manjari Devi, born 1900, entered politics as the Rajmata of Ranpur; M.L.A. (Orissa) 1952/1961 (two terms); Deputy Minister, Health (20.2.1952) - (6.4.1957); Health Minister of Orissa (27.4.1957) - (22.5.1959), she was the first Woman of the State to be included to the State Ministry; she proved to be popular and a TB Hospital in Chandpur is named after her; married 1928, Yuvaraj Biranchi Narayan Singh Deo of Ranpur, and had issue. She died 7th June 1961.
  • Raja KISHOR CHANDRA MARDRAJ HARICHANDAN 1913/1960, born 2nd February 1904 and succeeded as the 37th Raja Saheb of Nilgiri on 6th July 1913, he was granted full ruling powers on 2nd February 1925, and installed on 20th April 1925; educated at Mayo College, Ajmer; married 1stly, 28th February 1922, Rani Anand Kumari, daughter of HH Raja Sir PRATAP SINGH of Alirajpur, married 2ndly, 19th June 1925, Rani Giriraj Kumari Devi, daughter of the Thakore Saheb of Thakurgaon in Ranchi, Bihar, and had issue, five sons and three daughters. He died 29th March 1960.
    • Rajkumari Kamlesh Manjari Devi (by Rani Anand Kumari), born 1923, married 1944, Maharaj Naharsinghji, born 1909, died 1966, of Chhota Udepur in Gujarat, and had issue, one son.
      • Maharaj Tarun Dev
    • Rajkumari Swarnalata Manjari Devi (by Rani Giriraj Kumari), born 1924, married Maharajkumar Shri Shri Shri Madhav Sundar Gajapathi Narayana Deo of Parlakhimedi (later Raja Madhav Sundar Gajapati Narayan Deo of Delang, Balaramnagar and Manikprasad), born 1919, died 1995, second son of Capt. Maharaja Saheb Shri Shri Shri KRISHNA CHANDRA GAJAPATHI NARAYANA DEO of Parlakhimedi, and had issue, one son.
      • Rajkumar Birendra Gajpati, born 1947, died unmarried 2001.
    • Raja RAJENDRA CHANDRA MARDARAJ HARICHANDAN (by Rani Giriraj Kumari) (qv)
    • Rajkumari Snehalata Manjari Devi [Maharani Suryamani Pattamahadei of Puri] (by Rani Giriraj Kumari), born 1935, married Sri Gajapathi Maharaj BIRA KISHORE DEB of Puri, and had issue, two sons and one daughter. She died in 1994.
    • Rajkumar Chotrai Bharatendra Chandra Mardaraj Harichandan, born 1941, married the daughter of Lal Saheb of Thakurgaon, Ranchi and has issue, one son and two daughters.
      • Kumar Gautam Mardaraj
      • Kumari Upasana Devi, married in Lucknow, Kunwar Myankeshwar Sharan Singh of Tiloi, and has issue.
      • Kumari Archana Devi, married.
    • Rajkumar Routrai Saheb Rathendra Chandra Mardaraj Harichandan (by Rani Giriraj Kumari), born 1943 in Nilgiri, educated at Rajkumar College, Raipur; married 9th May 1976 in Badagaon, Balasore, Rajkumarani Prativa Devi, daughter of Shri Radhashyam Das of Badagaon, Balasore, and has issue, one son and one daughter.
      • Kumar Sandeep Mardaraj
      • Kumari Vidya Devi
    • Rajkumar Badkumar Surendra Chandra Mardaraj Harichandan (by Rani Giriraj Kumari), born 1945, married the daughter of the Raja of Kalkala Estate, Cuttack, and has issue, one son.
      • Kumar Hara Prasad Mardaraj, married and has issue.
    • Rajkumar Sankumar Kirendra Chandra Mardaraj Harichandan (by Rani Giriraj Kumari), born 1947, married the daughter of Lal Saheb of Jaria Estate, Ranchi, and has issue, two sons.
      • Kumar Prakash Mardaraj
      • Kumar Bikash Mardaraj
  • Raja RAJENDRA CHANDRA MARDRAJ HARICHANDAN, 38th Raja of Nilgiri 1960/2001, born 9th April 1930, succeeded his father on 29th March 1960; educated at Rajkumar College, Raipur, at Ravenshaw College, Cuttack, at MS Law College, Cuttack (LL.B.) and at Jadavpur University, Calcutta (M.A.); joined Ganatantra Parishad in 1960; he has helped to establish the Girls M. E. School at Nilgiri; Member of Managing Committee of Rajkumar College, Raipur; M.L.A. (Orissa) for three terms 1961/1967, 1974/1977 and 1977/1980; interests and pastimes were Reading, Music and Photography, Billiards, Tennis and Shikar; married Rani Indira Devi, only daughter of Raja AMARENDRA MANSINGH Bhramarbar Rai of Dompada in Cuttack, and his wife, Rani Pritam Kumari, and had issue, two sons and one daughter. He died 30th May 2001.
    • Raja JAYANT CHANDRA MARDRAJ HARICHANDAN (qv)
    • Rajkumar Jagdish Chandra Mardaraj, State Co-ordinator of Reliance Group in Orissa, Member Bhubaneswar Club Ltd., married Rajkumari Jyotshna Mardaraj, and has issue, two daughters.
      • Kumari Prakriti
      • Kumari Akriti
    • Rajkumari Jaishree Devi, married Rajkumar Dhruv Narain Singh of Shivrati, and has issue, one son.
      • Shriman Maharaj Sahib Shri Raghav Raj Singh of Shivrati
  • Raja JAYANT CHANDRA MARDRAJ HARICHANDAN (see above)
 
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1. "The Golden Book of India"; LETHBRIDGE, Roper, MacMillan & Co., 1893 p. 389