Marharaja – the splendour of India’s royal courts at the V&A is a surprising and enlightening exhibition.

The Marharajas had a specific role in India running across centuries until the present. As well as covering the period before and after the impact of the British (East India Company), you can see the stately Victorian Raj and the swinging Twenties.

Worth seeing are the fabulous ‘classical’ paintings including courtiers spraying each other with coloured paint; the board game with dice made of diamonds; the British envoy wearing a top hat in the midst of turbans; and the film of the Victorian Durbars.

If you have any interest in India at all get over to the British Museum to see Gardens and Cosmos before it finishes on 11 October. The exhibition concerns the royal court of 17/18 century Jodphur (India) and the rulers, their courts, loves and religious beliefs.

I thought the reviews were exaggerating but these are truly exceptionally charming paintings with astonishing colouring particularly the pink hues. The level of detail is also remarkable and the animals, especially the elephants, are amusing.

The depictions of the cosmos as sheets of pure gold colour are an unusual theological concept.

One word – wow.