The new face of India’s dynastic elites: with brains, beauty and big hearts, the princesses of Mayurbhanj are not your regular royals
Kolkata-born sisters Mrinalika M Bhanj Deo and Akshita M Bhanj Deo promote local art and culture, run a sustainable boutique palace hotel, and embrace eco-tourism
As young entrepreneurs make their mark in the world of business, young royals are following this trend by establishing their presence in different industries.
Mrinalika M Bhanj Deo and Akshita M Bhanj Deo are the second and third daughters of Praveen Chandra Bhanjdeo, the 47th ruler of the Bhanja dynasty, part of India’s princely state of Mayurbhanj, part of Orissa, a state in eastern India. Their mother is Rashmi Rajyalaxmi Bhanjdeo, from the royal family of Jaisalmer, and their father’s mother is Maharani Bharati Rajya Lakshmi Devi, daughter of Nepal’s late King Tribhuvan, and the aunt of the current king.
Technically, India's royalty lost their official powers in 1947, but while the ceremonial elites remains, Mrinalika, 28, and Akshita, 26, are not your average pampered heiresses. Beyond attending Le Bal des Debutantes in Paris a few years ago, to represent India alongside debutantes and cavaliers from the Kennedys and the Windsors, the sisters are focused on promoting local art and culture, running a sustainable boutique palace hotel, and embracing eco-tourism in Orissa.
Potent mix of beauty and brains
Born and raised in Kolkata, Mrinalika and Akshita attended the prestigious La Martiniere for Girls, up to Grades 9 and 10, following which the sisters moved to the elite United World College of South East Asia (UWCSEA) in Singapore. The college’s Singapore alumni include Bollywood actress Sonam Kapoor and Princess Anita of Orange-Nassau, van Vollenhoven-van Eijk, a Dutch princess. Its other campuses around the globe boast alumni such as Pavlos, crown prince of Greece; Kim Han-sol, grandson of Kim Jong-il; King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands.
Intrigue of international relations
Both sisters, interested in international affairs, sustainability, tourism, entrepreneurship and policy, went to university as Davis scholars, a scholarship programme from the United World College, in the US at Bard College and University of Virginia (UVA). Akshita pursued political science and human rights with a concentration in media in conflict areas at Bard, while Mrinalika studied sociology and international relations with a certification from the McIntire School of Commerce at UVA.