Wightwick Manor celebrates Diwali through Cooch Behar princesses' legacy

Wightwick Manor is hosting a Diwali festival honouring two Cooch Behar princesses who married Mander brothers. The programme renews historic India-UK ties through community art, music and storytelling.Stock photo used for illustrationLondon,Oct 24, 2026 15:18 ISTAn English manor is celebrating Diwali by highlighting its royal connections with West Bengal and the story of two Cooch Behar princesses who married into the family that owned the property, news agency Press Trust of India reported.Wightwick Manor and Gardens in England’s West Midlands will host a festival of light, storytelling, design and live music from Saturday until Diwali Day on November 8. The celebrations will focus on Princess Pretiva Devi Narayan and her sister Princess Sudhira, known as ‘Baby’, who fell in love with brothers Lionel and Alan Mander more than 100 years ago.“We are in the process of digitising large amounts of historic family photographs, so there is still hope we will unearth some pictures of the princesses in the house that we care for today,” the National Trust, the charity responsible for the manor, said.Lionel married Pretiva in February 1912 at Woodlands in Calcutta, a palace that belonged to her father, Sir Nripendra Narayan, the Maharajah of Cooch Behar in present-day West Bengal. Lionel’s younger brother Alan met Sudhira when she was ill in London and he visited his sister-in-law Pretiva. Their friendship soon developed into a romance. However, Maharani Suniti Devi, the mother of Pretiva and Sudhira, initially opposed the marriage and arranged an extended cruise to separate them.According to the account shared by the National Trust, Alan “simply followed them around the world”. The couple married in February 1914, also at Woodlands in Calcutta. “Pretiva and Sudhira were the daughters of Maharajah Nripendra Narayan and Maharani Suniti Devi, of Cooch Behar, West Bengal, India. The Maharajah and his wife were supporters of the British Raj and the royal family and often travelled to England,” the National Trust archives state.“In 1887 the Maharajah and his wife attended Queen Victoria’s Jubilee, and during this visit the couple met the Queen and socialised with other members of the royal family. The Maharajah also attended the Coronation of King Edward VII. They had seven children in total, including Pretiva and Sudhira, and their son Victor Nityendra Narayan was godson to Queen Victoria,” the archives add.Wightwick Manor will mark this connection between India and the UK with a colourful installation that reimagines Diwali through design. The installation has been created by local artist Kanj Nicholas.“Through a series of printing workshops with the local community and taking inspiration from the aesthetic of Wightwick, this installation blends rich Indian textiles, bold colours, and traditional motifs to create something truly unique,” the National Trust said in a statement shared with PTI.“Diwali is a time for reflection, joy, and togetherness, bringing families and communities together in celebration. Whether you are reconnecting with your roots or discovering something new, everyone is warmly invited to celebrate at Wightwick Manor and Gardens,” it added.The Diwali programme will thus bring together the manor’s history, its links to the Cooch Behar royal family and community-led art through light, music, storytelling and design until November 8.With PTI Inputs- Ends