Maharana Pratap's descendant, hotelier Arvind Singh Mewar passes away

Arvind Singh Mewar, a member of the former royal family of Mewar and chairman of the HRH group of hotels, passed away early Sunday in Udaipur after a lengthy illness, according to family sources. He was 81 years old and was a descendant of the Rajput king Maharana Pratap, having been under medical care at his residence in City Palace.

Who was Arvind Singh Mewar? How did he die?

He is survived by his wife, Vijayraj Kumari, as well as his son Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar and daughters Bhargavi Kumari Mewar and Padmaja Kumari Parmar. His funeral is scheduled for Monday. In tribute to him, the Udaipur City Palace will be closed to visitors on Sunday and Monday. Arvind Mewar was the younger son of Bhagwant Singh Mewar and Sushila Kumari. His elder brother, Mahendra Singh Mewar, passed away in November of the previous year.

Educated at the Mayo College in Ajmer, Arvind pursued hotel management courses in the UK and the US, receiving training in various international hotels. He lived in Chicago for many years before founding the HRH group of hotels as a professionally managed corporate entity.

An enthusiastic cricketer, he made his debut as Rajasthan's captain in the Ranji Trophy during the 1945-46 season and enjoyed a successful career spanning two decades. He also engaged in polo during the 1970s but eventually had to retire from the sport for health reasons. To promote professional polo in the UK, he established "The Udaipur Cup" at the Cambridge and Newmarket Polo Club and formed the Mewar Polo team in Udaipur, selecting and training professional players for Indian tournaments. The team won the esteemed President's Cup against the 61st Cavalry players in 1991.

Mewar was passionate about flying, having completed solo flights across India in a microlite aircraft. He served as the Chairman and Managing Trustee of the Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation in Udaipur and led various other charitable trusts.

Following the passing of his father, Bhagwant Singh Mewar, conflicts arose among his descendants regarding the leadership of the Mewar house and property disputes. Bhagwant Singh left his estate through a trust to Arvind, naming him his successor and disinheriting Mahendra Singh Mewar due to a lawsuit he had filed against him. After Bhagwant's death in 1984, Arvind took on the leadership role, while Mahendra, as the eldest son, was named the titular head of the family.

Mewar was the chairman and managing director of HRH Group of Hotels, Udaipur, the flagship commercial venture of the House of Mewar. HRH Group of Hotels is India's largest and only chain of heritage palace-hotels and resorts under private ownership.

With Mahendra's passing last November, his son Vishvaraj Singh Mewar assumed the titular leadership. A controversy arose when Vishvaraj was initially denied entry to the City Palace by his cousin, Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, to carry out certain rituals. However, the situation was later resolved, allowing Vishvaraj to enter the palace to offer prayers at the sacred fire.