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Maharani Priyadarshini Raje Scindia wears many hats. As trustee and patron of the Jai Vilas Palace, she has overseen its meticulous restoration over the years, from architectural mapping and structural consolidation to the development of new gallery spaces and interpretive signage. The same instinct for preservation underpins Aaranya, a private label launched by her to spotlight and support India's craft communities, with a particular focus on artisans in and around Madhya Pradesh. Each piece offers a blend of Deccan cultural codes, Maratha era iconography, and motifs drawn from the Scindia legacy, reimagined through a contemporary, design-forward lens, with an emphasis on fine materials, slow production, and conscious intent.
The label works to empower communities in Gwalior while promoting heritage craftsmanship, and has since caught the attention of the global fashion world: earlier this year, Aaranya's handwoven Chanderi textiles were used for Vivienne Westwood's debut show in India, presented at the Gateway of India.
At Palace Privé, Robb Report India's invitation-only experience at the Jai Vilas Palace on April 8 and 9, Aaranya translated that same philosophy from fabric to table.
Hosted by Maharani Priyadarshini Raje Scindia and Yuvraj Mahanaaryaman Scindia within the living landscape of the Jai Vilas Palace's grounds, the Gwalior Table was curated entirely by Aaranya. Every element was considered. A Chanderi table layover formed the base, with Gwalior ceramics, stone sculptures, P-tal work, Batto Bai dolls, Dhokra art, zardozi, and handwoven carpet arranged across the surface. Overhead, a canopy painted with inspirations drawn from Madhya Pradesh's tribal traditions, particularly Gond art, pulled the setting together. The name tags carried the detail through, each hand-painted in Chitera, a folk art form native to Gwalior.
The food followed the same logic. Served in traditional silver thals, the spread moved through the flavours of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Travancore, and Nepal, not as regions on a map but as lived experiences carried across landscapes by the women who shaped culture through their kitchens. The menu included Barbat, Hario Saag, Aloo Tareko, Varan, and Baroda Pulao, accompanied by Abad Dobad, with Puran Poli, Bahadura Laddoos, and paan to close. Each dish carried a story of movement, lineage, and inheritance. The meal was an ode to the women of legacy and to their kitchens as spaces of diplomacy, continuity, and identity.
The Gwalior Table was a setting in which the textiles, the ceramics, the painted name tags, and the inherited recipes existed in the same continuum, each one an argument for why Madhya Pradesh's artisanal traditions deserve more than preservation.
Robb Report India's second RR Experience took the form of Palace Privé, an invite-only gathering held on April 8-9 at the Jai Vilas Palace in Gwalior. Personally curated by Maharani Priyadarshini Raje Scindia and Yuvraj Mahanaaryaman Scindia, the 24-hour itinerary offered a window into the cultural and artisanal legacy of Madhya Pradesh, set within one of India's most celebrated royal residences.
The evening of April 8 featured a dining experience straight from the royal kitchen, with a menu drawn from recipes passed down through generations. Whereas, the following morning's Crafters' Brunch brought together lac bangle makers, Chanderi weavers, and carptet artisans from the region. Guests included Dia Mirza and Vaibhav Rekhi, Aditi Rao Hydari and Siddharth, Raghavendra Rathore and Kavita Rathore, Devyani Jaipuria, and Yeshwant Holkar, among others. Each element, ranging from the textiles on the table to the recipes in the kitchen, existed in the same continuum: Madhya Pradesh's artisanal traditions.