Maharana Pratap’s descendant star attraction at anniversary celebrationsJ
Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, May 29
The Rajput community at Garhshankar near Hoshiarpur today celebrated the anniversary of Mewar's legendary warrior Maharana Pratap and a descendent from his 13th generation, Rawat Pradeep Singh came over to attend the event.
Attired in a traditional Rajasthani style turban and donning long moustaches and colourful earrings, Rawat Pradeep Singh remained an attraction with hundreds of youth and representatives of his community making a beeline to take selfies with him.
Accompanied by Capt RS Pathania, chairman of the Punjab State Rajput Welfare Board, Thakur JN Singh, industrialist, Thakur Ranbir Singh of Amritsar Rajput Sabha, Thakur Anup Singh, president of All-India Youth Kshatriya Sabha, Rawat Pradeep Singh also visited Jalandhar in the evening. The community members from Punjab, who claim to be having 10 per cent representation in the state, are also planning a show of strength in the state inviting him as the guest again.
Rawat Pradeep Singh shared, "Maharana Pratap had 25 brothers, five of whom died in wars in the eighteen century. We have a huge clan of our own that gets together at least once in a year. Most of us are now engaged in tourism and hospitality business." He blamed the successive governments for ignoring the plight of Chittorgarh Fort and the need to upkeep it. "The only time a move got started was during the tenure of Bhairon Singh Shekhawat but nothing happened then after," he rued.
He expressed satisfaction that even the union government had decided to recognise him as a national hero now and would be declaring his birth anniversary as the national holiday. "His popularity has risen since the broadcast of a teleserial on him. Even our families watch the serial crazily. We somehow feel that some portions of Mahrana's life have been exaggerated out of proportion while few other instances which were more important have been briefly shown. We have not raised any objection to any scenes for we feel that it is an overall a good effort," he said.
The Rajput community leaders of Punjab accompanying him said that the statue of Maharana Pratap was set to be installed at Pathankot bus stand soon, which already had been named after the warrior.
