RAIPUR: The Chhattisgarh government has initiated a major cultural project to preserve and showcase the historic legacy, royal traditions, and rare heritage of the state’s 14 former princely states (desi riyasats) under a single roof through a dedicated gallery titled ‘Riyasat Veethika’.
The blueprint for the proposed gallery was unveiled during a consultative meeting with former royal families to preserve heritage and boost palace tourism.
Tourism and culture officials presented a detailed action plan via a PowerPoint presentation to descendants and representatives of the erstwhile royal families, actively seeking their guidance and participation to build the repository.
Chhattisgarh Tourism Board Chairman Nilu Sharma said the state’s princely states have played a pivotal role in carving out it's distinct cultural, archaeological, and religious identity across the country. He highlighted that alongside the gallery, the state government is working to develop historic palaces into heritage tourism circuits and homestays, opening new avenues for tourism while safeguarding architectural landmarks.
Outlining the scope of the project, Secretary for Tourism and Culture Dr S Bharatidasan explained that Riyasat Veethika will document and systematically display courtroom traditions, royal insignias, traditional royal attire, antique armaments, historical coinage, royal seals, archives, and unique socio-cultural rituals.
Currently scattered across private palace collections, family archives, and regional museums, these artefacts will be brought onto a unified platform to provide researchers, students, and tourists with a comprehensive window into Chhattisgarh’s royal history.
To facilitate coordination, the department will appoint a dedicated nodal officer tasked with visiting each royal household to document oral histories, verify records, and curate historical materials.
The consultation drew significant participation from royal scions across the state including Dr Parivesh Mishra and Kulisha Devi (Sarangarh), Rajya Sabha MP Devendra Pratap Singh (Raigarh), Adityeshwar Sharan Singhdeo and Kumudini Devi (Surguja), Yogeshwar Raj Singh and Mackleshwar Singh (Kawardha), Giriraj Kishore Das (Chhuikhadan), Jitendra Narsingh Rana (Udaipur-Dharamjaigarh), and Aryavrat Singh alongside Shatakshi Singh (Khairagarh). Dharmendra Singh (Sakti) and Vindheshwar Singh Deo (Surguja).