We are the sum of what we inherit and what we encounter: the culture we are born into, the histories we absorb, the worlds we move through. Young Indian royals find themselves at a curious intersection of both. Raised with a degree of freedom unfamiliar to the generations before them, yet custodians of archives, memory and inherited worlds few can grasp, they navigate modernity with one eye on legacy. If lineage grants proximity, developing taste is how they justify it.
Akshita M Bhanj Deo
Baripada, Odisha
Although she majored in political science, history is less an academic pursuit for Akshita M Bhanj Deo and more a collection of obsessions. A self-declared nerd, she takes pride in being able to expound on Chinese daggers one minute, move on to thumri records the next and segue into rugby scrums—all without reaching for Google. On Akshita’s Instagram feed, you’ll see glimpses of her home, Mayurbhanj’s 200-year-old Belgadia Palace, and its bounty of historical artefacts available to inspect at her disposal.
My favourite collector’s items are my antique weapons. I went to high school in Singapore, so Hong Kong became a familiar weekend getaway. The Hollywood Road and Cat Street markets are known for their thrift shops and antique dealerships. That’s where I once found a short dagger from the 17th or 18th century with bat and dragon carvings across the blade. In Chinese tradition, bats symbolise longevity. It seemed macabre but powerful at the same time.
A craft that fascinates me is dokra, the 4,000-year-old art of casting metal using the lost-wax casting technique, practised generation after generation by tribal communities, primarily in Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and West Bengal. I routinely carry my Enarai cocktail bags, which have dokra handles.
I grew up watching world-war films with my father. I am a big history buff. I love Shōgun. I’m also drawn to female characters with texture and layers, so I keep going back to Thelma & Louise, Girl, Interrupted and just about anything with Helena Bonham Carter in it.
My favourite genre of music is the thumri—soul-stirring melodies with evocative lyrics, sung by Girija Devi, Begum Akhtar and their contemporaries. My great-great-grandfather’s second wife was Sucharu Devi, the daughter of Bengali reformer Keshab Chandra Sen, who brought Bengali music and Urdu musical theatre into the family. Our vinyl collection at home reflects that inheritance.