Effortlessly buoyant and ardently passionate — Princess Mriganka Singh of the royal family of Jammu and Kashmir, has a lot more to her than just an illustrious lineage. In a candid tete a tete when she was in the city, she divulges how it feels to be a royal in today’s era and believes it’s the journey that matters more than the destination…
Dressed in a pristine white blouse and perfectly creased black trousers, Mriganka’s impeccable sense of style reflects upon a trait that fails to wear off — a stickler for perfection. Her visit to Bengaluru marks her debut as the brand ambassador of a luxe jewellery brand, Diacolour. “ This is my first visit to Bengaluru and I must say that it’s a lovely city, I believe it’s the people that make the city, and the people here are very warm and welcoming,” she remarks.
Unfazed about the hullabaloo around her regality, Mriganka Singh opines that being a royal today has become casual. “I have a lot of friends from similar backgrounds, as there are a lot of royal families in India . While we are aware of the significance, I look at it as a responsibility more than a privilege.” Raised and schooled in the capital, Mriganka Singh mentions that her childhood was little different from the rest. “I had a grounded upbringing. I went to the Vasant Valley in New Delhi and spent a chunk of my time learning how to paint and playing polo. I was always into outdoor activities,” she reminisces.
An artist since childhood, Mriganka traces her inclination towards art to her mother Yuvrani Chitrangada Singh’s works. “Our families were patrons of art and music. I’ve grown up seeing her take to the canvas. She used to paint horses in various settings. Her works greatly inspired me and egged me on to take to painting and art installations,” she adds.
An ardent traveller and a self-confessed foodie, Mriganka Singh is an unfussy eater who relishes Indian cuisines. Stating how she likes to keep a low-profile, she calls herself a ‘regular girl’. “A typical day revolves around this school started by my grandmother Maharani Raja Lakshmi. It’s a vocational training centre where we train children with special needs to help them create a living for themselves.”
While she holds unwavering family support as the biggest motivation, Mriganka mentions that she’s the closest to her grandfather, Dr Karan Singh, “I look forward to my evenings with him. His philosophy has moulded me into what I am. We play a session of rummy everyday,” she smiles. Believing that she’s presently in a happy space,Mriganka urges women to go with the flow. “What I admire most about the women in this era is that we’re all so brave. Also, be passionate about everything you do. Then it won’t feel like work and it’ll seem like you were born to do it,” she signs off.
