Chimnabai I
{{Short description|Queen of Baroda State (1880–1885)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox royalty
| consort = yes
| name = Chimnabai I
| image = A full-length portrait of the Princess Srimant Lakshmibai (1864 - 1885) of Tanjore.jpg
| caption = Full-length portrait as Princess Srimant Lakshmibai
| succession = Maharani of Baroda
| successor = Chimnabai II
| reign = 1880–1885
| reign-type2 =
| reign2 =
| coronation =
| spouse = {{marriage|Sayajirao Gaekwad III|1880}}
| issue = {{plainlist|* Bajubai (1881–1883)
- Putlabai (1882–1885)
- Fatehsingh Rao (1883–1908)}}
| house = Gaekwad
| father = Shrimant Sardar Haibat Rao Sahib Chavan Mohite
| mother = Nagamma Bai Sahib Mohite
| birth_date = {{birth date text|1864}}
| birth_place = Tanjore
| birth_name = Lakshmibai Mohite
| death_date = {{death date and age|1885|05|07|1864|df=y}}
| death_place = Baroda
| religion = Hinduism
}}
Maharani Chimnabai I (1864{{dash}}7 May 1885) was a queen and the first wife of Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III of the princely state of Baroda (now in Gujarat), British India. Several memorials were built by Sayajirao following her early death.
Biography
Chimnabai was born Lakshmibai in a Maratha family to her parents Shrimant Sardar Haibat Rao Sahib Chavan Mohite and Nagamma Bai Sahib Mohite in 1864. Her father was Amirrao of Tanjore and known as Daji Sahib. Her mother was a daughter of Sri Abaji Rao Ghatge, Serjirao, of Tanjore. Lakshmibai, along with her two sisters, were adopted by princess Vijaya Mohana (1845–1885) who was the daughter of Sivaji, the last Maharaja of Tanjore. There is not much details about her life. She was educated at the Tanjore Fort. She had training in Sadir Attam dance and she played veena. As a dowry, a Sadir Attam dance troupe was sent with her to Baroda which introduced the dance form there.{{cite web |last1=Hirschfeld |first1=Jeetendra |date=27 September 2011 |title=Life & Times of the Tanjore Princess: Vijaya Mohana (1845–1885) |url=https://www.academia.edu/93204952 |access-date=25 June 2023 |publisher=Sathir Dance Art Trust, Amsterdam-Chennai |pages=1–2, 4 |archive-date=20 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230720140848/https://www.academia.edu/93204952 |url-status=live }}
She changed her name to Chimnabai I when she married Sayajirao Gaekwad III of Baroda State on 6 January 1880.{{cite news |title=મહારાણી લક્ષ્મીબાઈના નામે ભવ્ય લક્ષ્મી વિલાસ પેલેસનું નિર્માણ |trans-title=Construction of grand Lakshmi Vilas Palace in the name of Maharani Lakshmibai |url=https://www.gujaratsamachar.com/news/madhya-gujarat/maharaja-sayajirao-built-palace-from-his-wifes-name |access-date=22 June 2023 |newspaper=Gujarat Samachar |date=14 February 2019 |archive-date=22 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230622174845/https://www.gujaratsamachar.com/news/madhya-gujarat/maharaja-sayajirao-built-palace-from-his-wifes-name |url-status=live }} They had two daughters and a son. Both of their daughters; Bajubai (1881–1883) and Putlabai (1882–1885); died at an early age.{{cite web |title=Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad 3 |url=https://historyofvadodara.in/maharaja-sayajirao-gaekwad-3/ |website=History of Vadodara |date=January 2005 |access-date=24 June 2023 |archive-date=24 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230624051951/https://historyofvadodara.in/maharaja-sayajirao-gaekwad-3/ |url-status=live }}
The foundation stone of the present royal residence of the Gaekwad family was laid by Sayajirao and Chimnabai. The palace is named Lakshmi Vilas Palace after her birth name Lakshmi.{{cite book |last1=Maholay-Jaradi |first1=Priya |title=Fashioning a National Art: Baroda's Royal Collection and Art Institutions (1875–1924) |date=2016 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=9780199466849 |page=271}}
She died on 7 May 1885 of pregnancy related complications.{{cite book |last1=Taleyarkhan |first1=Dinshah Ardeshir |title=Selections from My Recent Notes on the Indian Empire |year=1886 |publisher=Times of India Steam Press |pages=395–397 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fYMcAAAAMAAJ |access-date=3 February 2024 |archive-date=20 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230720140851/https://books.google.com/books?id=fYMcAAAAMAAJ |url-status=live }} After the birth of Fatehsingh Rao (b.1883), she died due to pregnancy related complications.{{cite book |last1=Sethi |first1=Anirudh |title=Royal Fakshily of Baroda: Gaekwad's |date=4 October 2019 |publisher=Notion Press |pages=140 |isbn=9781645879794 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=E5uzDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT5 |access-date=24 June 2023 |archive-date=20 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230720140848/https://books.google.com/books?id=E5uzDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT5 |url-status=live }} According to Hirschfeld J., she died from tuberculosis.
Memorials
{{quote box
| bgcolor = #CCDDFF
| align = left
| width = 26em
| quote = "I wish to commemorate the virtues of Her Late Highness and the admiration I entertained for her-the mild, charitable, amiable woman, the devoted mother and loving wife."
| source = —Words by Sayajirao Gaekwad III as he laid the foundation stone for ‘The Maharani Chimnabai Market’ in memory of his queen.
}}
File:Raopura Tower Vadodara.jpg area of Vadodara named as Chimnabai Clock Tower]]
Sayajirao Gaekwad III built the clock tower at Raopura area of Vadodara and named it as Chimnabai Clock Tower (1896) in her memory.{{sfn|Gazetteer of the Baroda State: Volume II|p=465}}{{cite news |last1=Rupera |first1=Prashant |title=Raopura tower to start chiming again |newspaper=The Times of India |date=24 May 2017 |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/vadodara/raopura-tower-to-start-chiming-again/articleshow/58814361.cms |access-date=21 June 2023 |archive-date=21 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230621163855/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/vadodara/raopura-tower-to-start-chiming-again/articleshow/58814361.cms |url-status=live }}{{cite web |title=Chimnabai Tower, Baroda – 1895 |url=https://www.rarebooksocietyofindia.org/postDetail.php?id=196174216674_10150207889496675 |website=rarebooksocietyofindia |access-date=21 June 2023 |archive-date=21 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230621163856/https://www.rarebooksocietyofindia.org/postDetail.php?id=196174216674_10150207889496675 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |title=Clock Tower |url=https://historyofvadodara.in/raopura-tower/ |website=History of Vadodara |date=25 August 2009 |access-date=21 June 2023 |archive-date=21 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230621170144/https://historyofvadodara.in/raopura-tower/ |url-status=live }}
A vegetable market near Sursagar Lake was built and named 'The Maharani Chimnabai Market', which was later used as a town hall. The building was then converted in an imperial court named Maharani Chimnabai Nyay Mandir.{{sfn|Gazetteer of the Baroda State: Volume II|p=349}}{{cite web |title=Nyay Mandir |url=https://historyofvadodara.in/nyay-mandir/ |website=History of Vadodara |date=13 August 2009 |access-date=24 June 2023 |archive-date=24 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230624071645/https://historyofvadodara.in/nyay-mandir/ |url-status=live }}{{cite book |title=Souvenir |date=1999 |publisher=Reception Committee, All India Library Conference, the University of California |page=16 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-XpKAQAAIAAJ&q=Chimnabai |access-date=3 February 2024 |archive-date=20 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230720140850/https://books.google.com/books?id=-XpKAQAAIAAJ&q=Chimnabai |url-status=live }}{{cite web |title=District Court Vadodara, Gujarat ઇતિહાસ |url=https://vadodara.dcourts.gov.in/gu/about-department/%E0%AA%9C%E0%AA%BF%E0%AA%B2%E0%AB%8D%E0%AA%B2%E0%AA%BE-%E0%AA%A8%E0%AB%8D%E0%AA%AF%E0%AA%BE%E0%AA%AF%E0%AA%BE%E0%AA%B2%E0%AA%AF-%E0%AA%B5%E0%AA%BF%E0%AA%B6%E0%AB%87/ |website=vadodara.dcourts.gov.in |access-date=25 June 2023 |archive-date=25 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230625112911/https://vadodara.dcourts.gov.in/gu/about-department/%E0%AA%9C%E0%AA%BF%E0%AA%B2%E0%AB%8D%E0%AA%B2%E0%AA%BE-%E0%AA%A8%E0%AB%8D%E0%AA%AF%E0%AA%BE%E0%AA%AF%E0%AA%BE%E0%AA%B2%E0%AA%AF-%E0%AA%B5%E0%AA%BF%E0%AA%B6%E0%AB%87/ |url-status=live }} A white marble statue of the queen is placed in the main room of the Nyay Mandir.{{sfn|Gazetteer of the Baroda State: Volume II|p=467}}{{cite news |last1=Nishant |first1=Dave |title=મહારાણી ચિમણાબાઇની મૂર્તિ માટે 17 વર્ષથી રાજવી પરિવારનો સંઘર્ષ |trans-title=The royal family's struggle for 17 years for the statue of Maharani Chimnabai |url=https://www.divyabhaskar.co.in/local/gujarat/vadodara/news/royal-family-struggle-for-17-years-for-maharani-chimanabai-idol-131422856.html |newspaper=Divya Bhaskar |access-date=24 June 2023 |date=19 June 2023 |archive-date=23 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230623200115/https://www.divyabhaskar.co.in/local/gujarat/vadodara/news/royal-family-struggle-for-17-years-for-maharani-chimanabai-idol-131422856.html |url-status=live }}
As Chimnabai had died due to pregnancy-related complications, a hospital was built in 1885 in Baroda by Sayajirao for the well-being and safe delivery of other women of the state. The hospital was named Dufferin Hospital as it was inaugurated by Lord Dufferin, the then governor of the Bombay Presidency. At present, the hospital is known as Sir Sayajirao General Hospital.{{cite news |title=એસએસજી હોસ્પિટલમાં વિકાસના નામે હેરિટેજનો વિનાશ – ૧૦૦ વર્ષ જુની અને સયાજીરાવે બનાવેલી હેરિટેજ ઇમારતને તોડવા સામે ભારે વિરોધ |trans-title=Destruction of heritage in the name of development at SSG Hospital – Massive protest against demolition of 100-year-old heritage building built by Sayajirao |url=https://www.gujaratsamachar.com/news/gujarat/vadodara-government-civil-hospital-ssg-going-to-destroy-100-year-old-heritage-building#google_vignette |newspaper=Gujarat Samachar |access-date=25 June 2023 |date=1 October 2018 |archive-date=25 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230625112909/https://www.gujaratsamachar.com/news/gujarat/vadodara-government-civil-hospital-ssg-going-to-destroy-100-year-old-heritage-building#google_vignette |url-status=live }}
A lake was constructed by Sayajirao in Kadarpur village near Kheralu{{sfn|Gazetteer of the Baroda State: Volume II|p=339}} in memory of Chimnabai I and named Chimnabai Lake. The construction was started in 1898 and completed in 1905. It has a water storage capacity of 632 million cubic feet.{{cite news |title=ચીમનાબાઈ સરોવર બન્યું જળસમૃદ્ધ, ધરોઈની સપાટી ૬૨૧ ફૂટને વટાવી |trans-title=Chimnabai lake became water rich, the level of the lake exceeded 621 feet |url=https://www.sandesh.com/gujarat/chimnabai-lake-became-water-rich-the-level-of-the-lake-exceeded-621-feet |newspaper=Sandesh |access-date=25 June 2023 |date=30 August 2022 |archive-date=25 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230625114537/https://www.sandesh.com/gujarat/chimnabai-lake-became-water-rich-the-level-of-the-lake-exceeded-621-feet |url-status=live }}
The girl students who have excelled in medical education at the Baroda Medical College are honoured with the prize named after Chimnabai I.
A white marble statue of Chimnabai I is placed in the Baroda Museum & Picture Gallery.
References
{{Reflist}}
=Sources=
- {{cite book |title=Gazetteer of the Baroda State: Volume II, Administration |date=1923 |publisher=G. H. Desai |location=Baroda |page= |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.94278/page/n481/mode/1up?view=theater |access-date=22 June 2023|ref=CITEREFGazetteer of the Baroda State: Volume II}}
{{Vadodara topics}}
Category:Indian female royalty
Category:19th-century Indian women
Category:19th-century Indian people
Category:People from Tamil Nadu