Zwanzig Jahre an Indischen Fürstenhöfen : Indisches und Allzu-Indisches

For two decades Otto Mayer lived inside the glittering world of Indian princely courts, first at Baroda and later at Kapurthala. Appointed as a palace manager and adviser, he moved far beyond the view most European travelers ever saw, witnessing daily rituals, private conversations, and the subtle ways power was exercised behind lavish ceremonies. His memoirs open with vivid scenes of rain‑slicked London streets, then plunge into the heat and colour of the subcontinent, where even a simple ride in a hansom becomes a prelude to a life of extraordinary intimacy with rulers and their households.

Mayer’s observations blend personal anecdotes with thoughtful reflections on Indian psychology and social customs. He describes everything from grand wedding processions—where a teenage groom and a child bride exchange vows under ornate canopies—to quieter moments in palace corridors, where whispered counsel shapes decisions. Listeners are invited to experience the paradox of opulence and ordinary life, gaining a nuanced picture of a world that was both exotic and deeply human.