Omaha daily bee., 1911-08-06
HE HAS JEWELS TO BURN
MaharajA of BarodR Outshines All
Other MOnarchs of the
World.

Another native ruler who is likely to at
tract public attention is His Highness
Maharaja Sir Sayaji Rao Gaekwar BAHIA
dur OF Baroda, who possesses probably the
finest collection of Jewels in the world
The gaekwar represents a state which
has been in the hands of the Mahrattas
since the early part of the eighteenth CEN
fury, when his ancestor, the first gaekwar
wrested the territory from the hands of
the Moguls. He became the ruler Of Ba.,
roda at the age of IL.
His palace at Baroda is one Of the most
remarkable buildings in India 1t has cost
millions to build from first to last Ii IS
called Lakahimi Vilas-"the Abode of the
Goddess of Fortune" The corridors are of
alabaster and pearl, inlaid with precious
stones, and the throne room is magnificent
In its gorgeous splendor.
The gaekwar's Jewels are the wonder of
Asia. In the "tosha-khana"-th treasure
chambers Of the old Nazi Bagh palace
there are precious stones the like of which
not even Aladdin or Sndblad ever saw.
There is the famous Star of the South"
one Of the great diamonds OF the world,
bigger than our own Koh-i-noor. and the
only second to the Cullnan. Then there is
the great collar of 500 diamonds, with a
double row of pear-shaped emeralds, the
broad scarf literally covered with row upon
row of pearls and knotted with immense
pigeon blood rubies the left shoulder;
and the necklace, which falls from the
throat to the waist made up of seven
rows Of pear-shaped diamonds as large as
hazel nuts. There is a carpet large enough
to cover the floor of a fair sized room
covered with seed pearls, and is worth a
kings ransom. And, besides all this, there
are bushels OF uncut stones and cups
carved out Of solid emeralds.
Nor are these gems and precious metals
confined to the treasure chambers. They
may be found in the elephant stables Is
we'll. These have their gold and jeweled
howdahs, one Of which 10 the gift Of the
Empress-Queen Victoria Another for the
little princes is borne by silver leopards,
which have spots Of chrysoprase and aqua
marine There are great forehead plaques.
guiding prongs and leading chains of pure
gold inlaid with every gem. And for those
who wish to climb up into the howdah
there are ladders OF solid silver. The sta
bles contain other treasures. There In q
victoria made of gold, and litter for the
use of the Maharani also made OF gold.
set with rubies. And then there is the WON
derful silver bullock wagon with beautiful
last of all there is a cannon OF solid silver
which a former ruler Of Barado had made.
and another of solid gold which sue
cessor, not to be outdone, had cast.
But fortunately for his people II is not
in his treasure houses that the heart of the
gaekwar is to be found. His training unz-
der European influences has led him to see
that where the oriental fails in his contact
with the occident is in the matter of edu-
cation. His four sons have had the benefit
OF an English public school and university
education, having studied at Elton and OK
ford. The maharaja kumar-the baroda
crown prince-is quite European in his
tastes. He was allowed to choose his own
bride and 10 see her face before marriage.
The gaekwar has made education the
chief feature OF his rule In Baroda. He has
quadrupled the number OF elementary
schools in his domlnions, and supplemented
them with technical and secondary schools.
There is a perfectly equipped polytechnic,
and to crown all. there is the Baroda uni
versity. which his hlghness has built and
the domes of which rise above the public
gardens and crown one OF the finest mod
ern buildings in India.
The gaekwar has been a great traveller
and in all his wanderings he has paid the
closest attention to the methods of educa-
ton in the countries he has visited. More
over. he has obtained the best teachers he
could get from all lands. Five years ago
he paid a prolonged visit 20 the United
States the result OF which was that his
only daughter has been educated there,
and one OF his sons has spent some time