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Air India, with its maharajah mascot, was once known for its lavishly decorated planes and stellar service, but its reputation declined in the mid-2000s as financial troubles mounted.

She attended a number of receptions and spent two days at a hunting lodge of a maharajah and rode an elephant.

Pharaohs, Celtic rulers, Roman emperors and maharajahs adorned themselves in beaded collars, semicircular metallic torcs, gold pendants and gem-encrusted chains to communicate power and class.

This infuriated the landlords and maharajahs who presided over a feudal hierarchy that relied on exploiting lower-caste labor.

Air India, with its maharajah mascot, was once renowned for its lavishly decorated planes and stellar service championed by the airline’s founder, JRD Tata, India’s first commercial pilot.