Paintings of Raja Ravi Varma, part of one of the world’s largest private collections of original works of Raja Ravi Varma, will be sent for exhibitions nationally and internationally in the future, Radhikaraje Gaekwad, custodian of the collection and holder of the title of Maharani of Baroda, said on the sidelines of the two-day Aikyam Festival, which concluded here on Sunday (October 11, 2026). The collection is housed within Laxmi Vilas Palace and the Maharaja Fatehsingh Museum in Vadodara.
The last time the artist’s paintings travelled outside Vadodara was about a decade ago, when the paintings were exhibited in London’s Victoria and Albert Museum. In India, they were sent on exhibition to the National Gallery of Modern Art in Mumbai two decades ago, Ms. Gaekwad said.
The renewed focus on the paintings comes at a time when the Maharaja Fatehsingh Museum is undergoing a major renovation. Raja Ravi Varma (1848-1906) was commissioned by the Gaekwad royal family in the 1888, before he came to be known as an acclaimed painter.
Now, a state-of-the-art, climate controlled and secure 20,000 sq. ft. storage facility is being built by the Maharaja Fatesingh Museum Trust to house over 40,000 objects in the Gaekwad family collection, including paintings, sculptures, decorative arts, armoury, royal regalia, textiles, and photographic archives. A newer, larger museum is also planned to showcase the family’s collection.
“This is the collection of Maharaja Sayajirao. Ravi Varma wasn’t Ravi Varma (the famous painter) when he was commissioned to work here. He became Ravi Varma after securing the Gaekwad commission. Maharaja Sayajirao gave him good money for his paintings, and gave him a gift. After that, Ravi Varma established a press in Lonavala. That is how his art became popular and available to common people (as affordable lithographs). Ravi Varma is the artist who created the faces of our gods and goddesses,” Manda Hingurao, curator and secretary, Maharaja Fatehsingh Museum, told The Hindu.
Cultural capital
Vadodara is well-known as the cultural capital of Gujarat. Domestic tourists across Gujarat’s top 10 destinations reached 12.4 crore in 2025, up by 36.9% when compared with the previous year, while foreign tourists were only a fraction of these numbers, at 16 lakh.
“For this edition of Aikyam, the theme is ‘rasa (essence) and realism’. We chose Vadodara as we wanted to pick a place which is less visited, off the beaten track. Looking at its cultural significance, the confluence of Indian and European art, including Indo-Saracenic architecture, there are several hidden gems here. We couldn’t think of a more perfect location. We have 10 European embassies as our cultural partners,” Siddhaant Mohta, director, Sopaan, a start-up curating cultural events.
The idea was to highlight Vadodara’s potential as a leading destination for cultural and heritage tourism, former Indian diplomat and Sopaan co-founder Monica Mohta said.
International delegates from 15 countries, including the Ambassadors of 10 European countries, participated in Aikyam 2026, with the two-day event exploring cross-cultural dialogues through art, architecture, performance, and living traditions.
‘Logistic hurdles’
Such events put Vadodara on the global tourism map, Ms. Gaekwad said, adding that the city’s infrastructure and presentation needed better alignment with its historical importance as a century-old hub of art. She flagged concerns over logistics, permits, and infrastructure.
“There are a lot of obstacles, and to organise events like these logistically, even simple things like getting a licence can be extremely challenging. There are little challenges, things which one takes for granted outside of Gujarat. We have a long way to go, but I think the intent is to to open up Gujarat for tourists, and I do hope we see that,” she said.
Aikyam 2026 was supported by Gujarat Tourism; Maharani Radhikaraje Gaekwad; Incredible India; Vadodara Municipal Corporation; the Baroda Heritage Trust; and the Federation of Gujarat Industries. The European Union Delegation to India was a partner.
(The correspondent was in Vadodara on an invitation from Sopaan.)