A former ruler recalls his reactions when he first realised he was now the Maharaja or ruler of the state.
'My first reaction was one of total bewilderment because all these people who had been surrounding my father suddenly started surrounding me. It was a new experience that somehow I had never anticipated.' Although it seldom came as a surprise, the elevation to the gadi meant an alteration in circumstances so complete as to be overwhelming at first and difficult to absorb. Private acceptance of the new ruler's authority by his family and by those in close attendance was usually followed on the third day by a public proclamation of the succession.

The installation, however, only came after the long and complex rituals of the Rajyabhishek ceremony had been completed. One ruler who underwent this ancient ceremony of anointing was Raja Shivram Sawant Bhosle of Sawantwadi.In Sawantwadi the ritual of the Rajyabhiskek purported to be that followed by Rama, and the various Vedic mantras used were said to be the same as those recited at that time. The whole ceremony took about eight days, beginning with various prayers directed to appease the nine signs of the zodiac. This was followed by the other ceremonies directed to various aspects of life so as to ‘clear the air’, as it were, and at the end of each ceremony fire was worshipped. This went on for about a week before the actual day of the Rajyabhishek, for which an auspicious day and time was found by the court astrologer.

First you prayed to your family deity and asked for blessing. After that you worshipped your weapons, your horses and your cows, then you carried a bow and arrow four or five times around the fire and sat down on a low stool. The family priest then poured water through a golden vessel containing a thousand holes and the hereditary chief minister did the same thing. Immediately after that you were anointed with the panchamrit (five nectars), consisting of honey, sugar, curds, milk, ghee and finally water again. Now this was the same ceremony of anointing observed when we worshipped our deities, so that once the Rajyabhishek had taken place, then the ruler was symbolically elevated at that time to the level of Vishnu. He is then installed on the gadi and actually worshipped by the Raj-guru (royal priest) as any deity is worshipped.

With his anointing completed, the ruler was then led to the gadi to be given his tikka mark, which in Pratapgarh was done in blood not by a Bhil, as was the case in a number of other Rajput states, but by the Rajjyotish after cutting his thumb on his sword: 'There's an old saying that the amount of blood that flowed down the nose predicted how long that particular ruler was going to rule.
' In Dhrangadhara, however, the mark was made with the more usual kum-kum paste, while the ruler was seated on a tiger skin: 'In our case the tilak was made by the Raj-purohit, who makes a long mark right from the nose right up to your scalp in red. That's when the trumpets were sounded, the guns are shot off and the drums began to be beat for the rest of the day, because that was the moment when you are confirmed as ruler.' It was at this moment that Mayurdhawaj Singh admits to feeling 'terribly humble that all these splendid people were accepting you and anointing you as something above them and someone distinct and separate from them-because this was really a ceremony of death in which you died in a state of man and were reborn as a king. Thereafter you are cut off from your family and previous connections. No ritual impurity thereafter attaches to you. You emerge as Varpaguru, the head of all castes.'

With the ritual complete, the Hindu Raja became a true King in the eyes of all his people - although not in the eyes of the Paramount Power.

In Bikaner drums were beaten in the town square, the announcement was made and a silver coin was struck bearing the new ruler's name. The period of official mourning continued for twelve days and on the thirteenth the ruler was officially and publicly installed in what was the Indian equivalent of the European coronation ceremony-although crowing itself played no part in the ritual. In Bikaner this installation was preceded by the ruler's recognition by his leading nobles.

Some rulers of the larger type of states-didn't take much interest in the affairs of the state and left everything to their Dewans-often very capable, eminent men. Whether it was the Dewan or the Political Agent or both together ruling the state, as far as these rulers were concerned they just signed the papers and their work was done. But many rulers took personal intrest in running the state and its affairs. One Former ruler says

"I believed in personal rule and in spending five or six hours every day going through files and cases. So much depended on the personal equation, which is why I believe monarchy to be one of the best forms of government. On alternate days, I saw anyone and everyone who came. I had two secretaries who screened petitions and these were forwarded for disposal to the department concerned. If a man persistently came to me with the same request, then I went into it personally and took such action as I saw fit under the rules of the department. It stopped red tape, ensured efficiency and prompt disposal of cases."

Many rulers believed in getting out and about as much as possible, spending 'at least 150 days in the year' going round the villages in the morning and returning to his office before noon. This kept them abreast of what was happening in their state, and due to this intrest that they took in their state and subjects that the people of the state treated them with respect which one gives only to the almighty. They were ready to lay their lives for their rulers if the need ever arose.This love and respect mixed with awe can still be seen in the people for the present Maharaja's of various states. This of course is reciprocrated by the present Maharaja's as they also try and help the people in their own capacity even to this day..