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Mahendra Singh Mewar

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Mahendra Singh Mewar
Mahendra in 2021
76th Maharana (disputed)1984–2024
Coronation1984
PredecessorBhagwat Singh Mewar
MahranaKingdom of Mewar
Born(1941-02-24)24 February 1941
Udaipur, Kingdom of Mewar, Rajputana Agency, India
Died10 November 2024(2024-11-10) (aged 83)
SpousePrincess Nirupama Kumari of Tehri Garhwal
IssuePrince Vishvaraj Singh Mewar
Princess Trivikrama Kumari
Era dates
1984–2024
HouseHouse of Sisodia or House of Mewar
DynastyKingdom of Mewar
FatherBhagwat Singh, Crown Prince of Mewar
MotherPrincess Sushila Kumari of Bikaner
Political Party: Bharatiya Janata Party and Indian National Congress

Mahendra Singh Mewar (24 February 1941 – 10 November 2024) was an Indian politician who was a Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha. He was the eldest son of Maharana Bhagwat Singh Mewar. Mahendra was the 76th Maharana of the House of Sisodia and the titular head of the erstwhile Kingdom of Mewar. The seat was disputed with his younger brother Arvind and he is possibly his successor.

Business and political career

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Mahendra had led a yatra with Atal Bihari Vajpayee in Mewar.[1] Mahendra was elected to the Lok Sabha from Chittorgarh in the 1989 Indian general election from BJP with a record winning margin of over 190,000 votes.[2] He was a Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Industry, 1990.[3] He moved to Indian National Congress and contested from Chittorgarh Constituency but lost to Jaswant Singh of the BJP.[4] He also contested from Bhilwara Constituency where he lost to Subhash Chandra Baheria in 1996 Lok Sabha elections.[2][5][6][7][8] His father-in-law Manabendra Shah, was an eight-time Member of Parliament.[9][10]

During the lifetime of Late Maharana Bhagwat Singh ji Mewar, he assisted in the formation of the Maharana Mewar Charitable Foundation, managed the world-famous Lake Palace Hotel when it was first recognised as a five-star hotel and the Garden Hotel, also at Udaipur when it was accorded with a three-star status.[citation needed]

He was also the President, Maharana Bhupal Institutions (under Vidya Pracharini Sabha, Udaipur, Rajasthan); St. Vice-President, General Council and Board of Governors, Mayo College, Ajmer; Patron, Akhil Bharatiya and Mewar Kshetra Kshatriya Mahasabha.[3]

Personal life

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Mahendra Singh Mewar was the eldest son of Mewar's titular ruler Bhagwat Singh.[11] He graduated from Mayo College, Ajmer where he was a sportsman. He completed his B.A. at Government College, Ajmer and resided in Samor Bagh.[12]

Mahendra Singh was married to Princess Nirupama Kumari of Tehri Garhwal.[13] Mahendra Singh Mewar has one son and one daughter. His son Vishvaraj Singh is married to Mahima Kumari, daughter of Jagdishwari Prasad Singh Deo of Panchkot, and have two children, one daughter named Baisa Jayati Kumari and a son named Devajaditya Singh.[14] His daughter, Kanwrani Trivikrama Kumari Jamwal is married to Divya Ashish Singh ji Jamwal of Akhnoor.

There has been some controversy between branches of the family about the leadership of the House of Mewar and subsequently the holder of the custodianship. The lines are between Arvind Singh Mewar on the one hand and Mahendra Singh Mewar on the other.

Mahendra Singh Mewar died on 10 November 2024, at the age of 83.[15]

Dispute over succession

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In 1984, Maharana Bhagwat Singh willed his entire property through a trust to younger son Arvind. He not only made Arvind the executor of the will, but also included daughter Yogeshwari Kumari as a trustee. Elder son Mahendra Singh, who had a year before accused his father of wasteful expenditure, polygamy and sought division of the vast property, was left out.[16]

However, after the demise of Late Bhagwat Singh ji Mewar of Udaipur, as his eldest son, Mahendra Singhji Mewar was 'Crowned' the Maharana of Mewar -76th Custodian of the Shrine, in a Raj Tilak ceremony on 19 November 1984, with the religious ceremonies and public participation within the City Palace, Udaipur, and thereafter the procession and "darshan" before Shri Eklingji at Kailashpuri.[citation needed]

His younger brother, Arvind Singh Mewar has since however, claimed that he is the Head of the Family. The Estate of Late Bhagwat Singh Mewar of Udaipur has been declared a H.U.F (Hindu United Family - Joint Family) by the Income Tax Tribunal in 1981 and is subject to a partition suit since 1983. Stay orders have been applicable on this Estate since and the activities initiated, expanded, alterations undertaken by Shri Arvind Singh Mewar have been during the pendency of these orders.[citation needed] Mahendra Singh Mewar had filed a petition in the court demanding equal share of property for family members and finally the decree has been passed in his favour.[17] The court has also put an immediate stop to all commercial activities at movable and immovable properties like Shambu Niwas, Badi Pal and Ghasghar which have not been given to any companies or trusts so far. All movable and immovable properties which have not been transferred to the company, trustees or persons, such as Shambhu Niwas, Badi Pal, Grass House, etc will be used by three parties -- Mahendra Singh, Arvind Singh and Yageshwari Devi for four years. Since these properties are currently with Arvind Singh, he has been asked to give the said assets, accounts and documents to his elder brother, Mahendra Singh on 1 April 2021. Mahendra Singh will give the property to Yageshwari on 1 April 2025. After this, Yageshwari on 1 April 2029 will hand over these assets to Arvind Singh. The asset transfer process will start from January 2021.[17][18]

Arvind Singh's place of residence is Shambhu Niwas Palace and their ancestral hunting lodge Shikarbadi Palace. On the demise of Late Bhagwat Singh Mewar of Udaipur, parts of the Palace, specifically those in which Late Maharana Bhagwat Singh ji Mewar of Udaipur was residing were sealed by Mahendra Singh Mewar. Against orders of the High Court of Rajasthan, the government / administration handed over these parts to Arvind Singh for which a contempt petition is under adjudication before the Supreme Court of India. Mahendra Singh Mewar had been permitted by the Supreme Court of India to take steps to repossess these parts of the Palace. It is under these circumstances that Arvind Singh has been residing in the City Palace.[citation needed]

The relationship between the two branches of the family have remained tense.[19][20] While in the international press, Arvind Singh Mewar is mentioned as the current head of the family, the local old noble families of Udaipur recognised Maharana Mahendra Singhji Mewar as the rightful head.[21][22][23]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Arnimesh, Shanker (17 October 2023). "Rajput card, eye on Mewar — why Rajasthan BJP brought in Maharana Pratap descendant & Karni Sena heir". ThePrint. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  2. ^ a b "तीन दशक बाद महाराणा प्रताप के वंशज की BJP में एंट्री, कौन हैं विश्वराज सिंह मेवाड़, जानिए Profile". Navbharat Times (in Hindi). Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Loksabha members : Mewar , Shri Mahendra Singh - Data is Info: Data is more useful if it is made available in a better format". Data is Info. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  4. ^ "Jaswant Singh prepares for his last innings in Parliament from Rajasthan". India Today. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  5. ^ उदयपुर, विपिन चंद्र सोलंकी (19 October 2023). "महाराणा प्रताप के वंशज विश्वराज सिंह ने जॉइन की BJP, क्या इससे मेवाड़ की राजनीति पर पड़ेगा असर?". abplive.com (in Hindi). Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  6. ^ "Vishwaraj Singh Mewar: कौन हैं महाराणा प्रताप के वंशज विश्वराज मेवाड़, पहले पिता को मिली जीत, अब BJP ने दिया टिकट". Zee News (in Hindi). Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  7. ^ Saini, Vishwanath (17 October 2023). "Vishvaraj Singh Mewar". OneIndia News. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  8. ^ "Easy access, clean image gives BJP MP Subhash Baheria an edge in Bhilwara". Hindustan Times. 5 April 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  9. ^ Hoon, Preeti (31 January 2020). "Maharaja Manujendra Shah's Craze For Cars & A Childhood Story". PREETI HOON. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  10. ^ Rathore, Abhinay (1948). "Tehri Garhwal (Princely State)". Rajput Provinces of India. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  11. ^ "Mewar royal family's connect with people will help BJP win Nathdwara: Vishvaraj Singh". The Times of India. 5 November 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  12. ^ "Vishwaraj Singh Mewar: कौन हैं महाराणा प्रताप के वंशज विश्वराज मेवाड़, पहले पिता को मिली जीत, अब BJP ने दिया टिकट". Zee News (in Hindi). Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  13. ^ Hoon, Preeti (31 January 2020). "Maharaja Manujendra Shah's Craze For Cars & A Childhood Story". PREETI HOON. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  14. ^ Rathore, Abhinay (14 February 1941). "Udaipur (Princely State)". Rajput Provinces of India. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  15. ^ पूर्व मेवाड़ राजघराने के महेंद्र सिंह मेवाड़ का निधन, संभाग में शोक की लहर, लोगों जताया दुख (in Hindi)
  16. ^ Rohit Parihar, Mewar Muddle, India Today, 2000, http://www.india-today.com/itoday/20000124/states.html Archived 24 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine
  17. ^ a b "37-year-old Mewar royal property dispute finally settled". MorungExpress. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  18. ^ "Udaipur court gives decision in 37-year-old property dispute of Mewar royals". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  19. ^ Akhtar Khan, महेंद्रसिंह और लक्ष्यराज के समर्थक भिड़े, http://www.udaipurpost.com/mewar-royal-family-once-again-the-controversy-became-public.html, Udaipur Post, 11 June 2013
  20. ^ भूपालसिंह की प्रतिमा का अनावरण आज, http://www.bhaskar.com/article/RAJ-UDA-bust-of-bhupalasinh-today-3455738.html, Dainik Bhaskar News Network, 28 June 2012
  21. ^ Rathore, Abhinay (14 February 1941). "Udaipur (Princely State)". Rajput Provinces of India. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  22. ^ महेन्द्रसिंह मेवाड का स्वागत, http://www.bhaskar.com/article/RAJ-OTH-23012-3322957.html Archived 6 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine Matrix News | 26 May 2012
  23. ^ बार एसोसिएशन प्रतिनिधिमण्डल ने महाराणा महेन्द्र सिंह से की मुलाकात http://www.khabarindia.tv/udaipur-news-_801.html#.Uk9NU9LktlA Archived 13 April 2016 at the Wayback Machine, 11 August 2013
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