Indira Devi

Indira Devi (born as Indira Raje; 19 February 1892 – 6 September 1968) was the Maharani of the princely state of Cooch Behar, British India. She was born a princess of Baroda as the daughter of Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III, by his second wife Chimnabai II. She broke her arranged engagement to marry Jitendra Narayan and became daughter-in-law to Suniti Devi. Previously her engagement had been fixed to Madho Rao Scindia, Maharaja of Gwalior. Following the death of her husband she became regent of Cooch Behar during the minority of her elder son Jagaddipendra Narayan. Her fourth child and second daughter, Princess Gayatri Devi, would later go on to become the Maharani of Jaipur. In Baroda Indira was born the only daughter of Sayajirao Gaekwad III of Baroda and his second wife Maharani Chimnabai (1872–1958). She grew up with her several brothers at the opulent Lakshmi Vilas Palace in Baroda, and was betrothed at a young age to Madho Rao Scindia, the then Maharaja of Gwalior. During the period of engagement, Indira attended the Delhi durbar of 1911, where she met the Jitendra, younger brother of the then Maharaja of Cooch Behar. Within days, they were in love and had decided to marry.