Gods, Guns and Missionaries by Manu S Pillai

In the summer of 1902, the orthodox maharajah of Jaipur faced a profound dilemma when invited to attend King Edward VII's coronation in London. Bound by strict religious prohibitions against crossing the ocean, the ruler sought counsel from his Brahmins to navigate the clash between tradition and colonial modernity. The ingenious solution involved traveling alongside his family deity, Sri Gopalji, with a customized steamer purified by priests and stocked with tons of sacred Ganga water. This fascinating journey captures the extraordinary lengths to which an Indian prince went to honor imperial duty while fiercely preserving his faith.