Maharana Pratap descendant Arvind Singh Mewar dies at 81

Arvind Singh Mewar, a member of the erstwhile royal family of Mewar and the chairman of the HRH Group of Hotels, died in Udaipur early on Sunday after prolonged illness, his family said.

He was 81.

Mewar is survived by his wife Vijayraj Kumari, son Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, and daughters Bhargavi Kumari Mewar and Padmaja Kumari Parmar.

A descendant of Rajput king Maharana Pratap, Mewar had been ill for a long time and was under treatment at his residence in Udaipur’s City Palace.

His funeral will take place on Monday.

As a mark of respect, the Udaipur City Palace will be closed for tourists  on Sunday and Monday.

Mewar was the younger son of Bhagwant Singh Mewar and Sushila Kumari. His elder brother, Mahendra Singh Mewar, died in November last year.

Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, his predecessors Ashok Gehlot and Vasundahra Raje, former BJP Rajasthan president Satish Poonia, Mewar’s nephew Vishvaraj Singh Mewar, and several other political and Rajput leaders expressed sadness at the erstwhile royal’s passing.

Sharma said he played a crucial role in promoting Mewar’s “glorious legacy”.

Raje pointed to his efforts in promoting tourism in Udaipur and said his contributions would always be remembered.

Gehlot, Poonia, and several other leaders prayed for peace for his departed soul.

Arvind Singh Mewar was educated at the prestigious Ajmer’s Mayo College, and pursued hotel management courses in the UK and the US. He received training in various international hotels.

He lived and worked in Chicago for many years before building the HRH Group of Hotels as a professionally managed corporate organisation.

An avid cricketer, Mewar made his debut in Ranji Trophy as Rajasthan’s skipper in 1945-46 and had an eventful career for almost two decades.

He was a polo player in the 1970s before he gave up the sport due to medical reasons.

To showcase his commitment to professional polo in the UK, Mewar instituted ‘The Udaipur Cup’ at the Cambridge and Newmarket Polo Club.

In Udaipur, Mewar Polo was formed as a polo team with professional players who had been handpicked and specially trained for Indian tournaments.

The Mewar Polo team lifted the prestigious President’s Cup in 1991.

Mewar was also an avid pilot and has done solo flights across India in a microlight aircraft.

Mewar was the Chairman and Managing Trustee of the Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation, Udaipur. He also headed other trusts.

Mewar had become embroiled in conflict with his brother Mahendra Singh following the passing of their father regarding leadership of the house of Mewar and property.

Bhagwant Singh willed his property through a trust to Mewar, his younger son, and named him successor. He had also disinherited his elder son Mahendra Singh because he had filed a lawsuit against him.

After Bhagwant Singh’s death in 1984, Mewar assumed leadership of the house. At the same time, Mahendra Singh was coronated as the family’s titular head.

Following Mahendra Singh’s death in November, his son Vishvaraj Singh, a BJP MLA, became the titular head.

A controversy erupted when Vishvaraj Singh was prevented from entering the City Palace by his cousin Lakshyaraj Singh.

The deadlock ended after Vishwaraj Singh was permitted to enter the palace to visit ‘dhuni (sacred fire)’ to offer prayers to the deity.