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Ji
The word maharaja means king in Hindi, and the word maharani means queen; generally, the terms refer to the most powerful leaders in a given region. Though Joshi’s readers never meet the maharaja of Jaipur, both Indira (known as the elder maharani) and her daughter-in-law Latika (the current maharani) are major characters.
Maharaja/Maharani Quotes in The Henna Artist
The The Henna Artist quotes below are all either spoken by Maharaja/Maharani or refer to Maharaja/Maharani. For each quote, you can also see the other terms and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 7
Quotes
I understood the trauma mothers suffered when they lost their children to fever or malnutrition. I'd seen it often enough working with my saas. But to have a child taken away without your knowledge must have been another kind of torture.
Maharani Indira had reached the bottom of her deck. “The citizens of Jaipur may think we maharanis have power, but that couldn't be farther from the truth.” She picked up the pile of rejected cards and began to turn them over one by one.
Related Characters:
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Get the entire The Henna Artist LitChart as a printable PDF.
Maharaja/Maharani Term Timeline in The Henna Artist
The timeline below shows where the term Maharaja/Maharani appears in The Henna Artist. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1
...match, but she has an agenda of her own: she wants Lakshmi to assist the maharani Latika, who has been depressed as of late. Lakshmi quickly sees what Parvati is suggesting:...
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Chapter 3
...come through, or that Parvati will actually make the introduction to the palace and the maharani.
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Chapter 4
Radha also sees a picture of Kanta’s husband, Manu, with his boss, the maharaja of Jaipur (the handsome, well-educated Manu is the Director of Facilities for the palace). Before...
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...will be a party at Parvati’s house, where she will perform for everyone, including the maharaja. Lakshmi realizes that this means Parvati is taking her match idea seriously, as she is...
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Chapter 5
...she assures him that his architecture firm can collaborate with Mr. Sharma to get the maharaja’s business (which will also please Manu, the maharaja’s Director of Facilities). Lakshmi hails a rickshaw,...
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Chapter 6
...back and forth, it is clear that the older man is trying to bribe the maharaja. “This,” Lakshmi whispers to Radha, “is how roads, petrol pumps[…]get built. Before independence, that man...
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...pink satin, gossiping with her friends. Some of the friends are complaining about how the maharajas have no money, preferring to spend it all on fancy cars, tiger hunts, and polo....
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Lakshmi and Radha shift their gaze to see the maharaja himself, impressing a group of men that includes Samir. Then, Radha sees Ravi jog out...
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...remains in her good graces when he announces that they have a meeting with the maharani tomorrow. Beyond that, Samir has also gotten Naraya to agree to an extension for Lakshmi’s...
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...whole time, though, Lakshmi wonders what it will be like to meet with the dowager maharani: what supplies will she need? What is wrong with the younger maharani, Latika? Lakshmi is...
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Chapter 7
After tossing and turning all night, wondering what supplies to bring to the maharani’s, Lakshmi and Malik set off. Jaipur is packed this morning, but Lakshmi still spots Hari...
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The maharani’s palace is relatively simple compared to the maharaja’s quarters, though it is still impressive. Malik...
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...Indira explains that she named the bird Madho Singh, after her late husband (the former maharaja). The bird never met his namesake, as the maharaja has been dead for 33 years,...
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...tastes, so this is her way of getting even. “Like my ladies,” Lakshmi thinks, “the maharanis had devised their own rules of gamesmanship.”
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The maharani explains that though Parvati is her blood relative, Samir is the one she feels close...
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...but he has been sent away to England. “The citizens of Jaipur may think we maharanis have power,” Indira states, “but that couldn’t be farther from the truth.” Lakshmi sees that...
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...of those times, painting and artistic detail provided an escape. Now, as Lakshmi approaches the maharani Latika, she pays attention to the detailed stonework (made by artists from Persia, Egypt, Africa,...
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When Lakshmi returns to Indira, she sees the elder maharani hard at work on her plants, which she refers to as her “babies.” Indira offers...
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...for two or three weeks to work on the same, elaborate henna for Latika. The maharani agrees and tells Lakshmi that she will get 500 rupees for each session—that is, if...
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Chapter 8
In week two of Lakshmi’s time with Latika, the maharani improves: her eyes are more alert, and she’s sleeping through the night. She even lets...
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At the end of the second week, Lakshmi is ready to finish the maharani’s henna. As a final detail, she writes Latika’s name on one hand and the name...
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Latika asks about Radha’s plans for schooling and suggests that Radha should come—cost free—to the Maharani School for Girls. Lakshmi is amazed: going to the royal school would open unheard-of doors...
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Lakshmi goes to give Indira her status report and sees that the elder maharani is talking to several important women. Indira describes Lakshmi as a “miracle worker” and recommends...
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...cold to her. As she bends down to tell Radha the good news about the maharani’s school, Lakshmi notices that she has never had her ears pierced and resolves to change...
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Chapter 9
It’s February 12, 1956, and it’s Radha’s first day at the maharani’s school. Lakshmi admires all the cars with drivers, and the impeccable uniforms, which Latika herself...
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Chapter 10
Though Lakshmi still attends the maharani once a week, she is in much better spirits. In fact, Latika is so cheerful...
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Chapter 13
...And though adoption is generally stigmatized in India, Lakshmi knows better than anyone that the maharaja is looking to adopt. Samir does not want to “expose” Ravi and he fears that...
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Chapter 14
...agreed to let Radha go to Shimla with Kanta. Samir has spoken to the elder maharani to broach the possibility of an adoption, but Lakshmi will have to work out the...
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Before her visit with the maharani, Malik pinches Lakshmi’s cheeks, hoping to make her look healthier than she feels. It has...
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...Lakshmi’s, but she agrees to the adoption—pending a paternity test. To formalize the exchange, the maharani has a servant bring forth the royal adoption papers. The long, detailed contract specifies that...
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...of red liquid, which she explains is liquid opium (“if it’s good enough for the maharajas,” Indira snarks, “it’s good enough for us”). Even Madho Singh, the bird, has a taste.
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Chapter 22
Before the train takes off, Malik spots the maharani’s chef with a package in hand. The package contains many sweets and a note from...
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