Way back in the 1940s, the Maharani of Baroda, Sita Devi took the brave decision to opt for divorce from her husband and the reason was, to unite with her lover. This, at a time when divorce was not an easy thing in Indian society and was often scoffed at as a misdemeanour, especially for a woman.
Sita Devi was born in 1917. She was a woman who was way ahead of her time. Sita Devi was married to MR Appa Rao Bahadur, Vuyyuru’s affluent Zamindar. The two were parents to a son. Sita Devi, in the year 1943, met Maharaja Pratapinharo Gaekward of Baroda at the Madras Horse Races. At the time, he was the 8th richest man in the world.
Sita Devi was charmed by the man on their first meeting. But, at the time, she was already married. Maharaja Pratapinharo decided to consult his legal team who suggested that Sita Devi convert to Islam and end her current marriage according to Indian law.
After divorcing her husband, Sita Devi can again adopt Hinduism to marry the Maharaja.
The two got married and settled in Monte Carlo. Sita Devi was an extrovert and liked to mingle with elites in the foreign land. The couple went to the US twice on a shopping spree and spent approximately Rs 83 crore.
This soon began to take a financial toll on the couple. Maharaja was submerged in an interest-free loan. This eventually began to affect their relationship and they eventually got divorced.
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