This woman from Bihar donated 600 kg of gold in Indo-China war, 60 years ago the royal family had a lot of wealth… | World

Maharani Kamasundari Devi of the Darbhanga royal family donated around 600 kg of gold to the Indian Army. Along with this, the royal family also handed over their three private jets and a 90-acre private airport to the government. Today, Darbhanga Airport is operating on this land. This decision was taken after the death of Maharajadhiraja Kameshwar Singh, and the responsibility fell on the shoulders of the Queen.

This donation was equivalent to thousands of crores of rupees in today’s terms. If the value of 600 kg of gold donated in 1962 is estimated at today’s price, 10 grams of gold is currently worth around ₹1.40 lakh. According to today’s gold rate, its value is around ₹8,500 crore.

The Darbhanga royal family was considered one of the richest dynasties in the country at that time. Around 1962, its net worth was estimated to be around Rs 10,000 crore (in contemporary prices). It included vast lands, palaces, jewels, companies and investments. The Kameshwar Singh Religious Trust, which owned about 100,000 acres of land, was set up to manage the properties.

This royal family was founded by the Mughal Emperor Akbar in 1557, when Mahesh Thakur was appointed as the ruler of Mithila. Later, it became a large estate under British rule. In its time the state was spread over 10,000 square kilometers and thousands of villages fall within it. After the abolition of the zamindari system, the royal family now has significantly less wealth than before, but its contribution to the country in 1962 will always be remembered in history.