Udaipur: Iconic Rajput ruler Maharana Pratap fought against Mughal ruler Akbar nearly 450 ago for self respect but his descendent Vishvaraj Singh Mewar, who became the titular head of the family Monday, had to struggle to complete the rituals of accession to the “throne” in Udaipur.
Vishvaraj Singh Mewar, a BJP MLA, faced challenge from his uncle Arvind Singh Mewar and his son Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar who allegedly denied him entry to the palace.
Vishvaraj Singh wanted to go to offer prayer at a ‘dhuni’ (sacred fire) in the city palace premises and then to Eklingnath Ji temple to finish the ritual.
Earlier in the day on Monday, Vishvaraj was anointed as the titular head in a ceremony in Chittorgarh fort following the demise of his father Mahendra Singh Mewar recently.
Property dispute is at the core of this entire episode, which apparently has turned into the battle of who is supreme. City palace and Eklingnathji temple are under the control of Arvind Singh.
However, after violent protests outside the city palace erupted on Monday night, district administration has appointed a receiver for the controversial portion of city palace where ‘Dhuni’ is located and now the decision regarding entry will be taken by the administrator.
The issue stands unresolved. However, the situation is under control, district officials said.
“What Lakshayraj Singh has done is a blot on the history of Mewar. By not allowing Vishvaraj Singh to pay obeisance at the dhuni, he has not only hurt the glorious legacy of Mewar but has also disgraced himself,” Randheer Singh Bhindar, the head of erstwhile royal family of Bhindar, told PTI on Tuesday.
Bhindar said that he and others talked to Lakshyraj Singh and asked him to act in accordance with the tradition but he remained adamant.
“We asked him that Vishvraj will return after having darshan of the dhuni and no one will be occupying that place. The Rajput community is furious with him,” he said.
Bhindar, a former MLA, said that Lakshyaraj might have thought that if Vishvaraj is allowed to enter the City Palace and he completes the ritual then it will be validated that he is the head of the family.
Expressing shock, Devvrat Singh, head of erstwhile Salumbar royal family, said the way titular head was treated yesterday has given a “horrible” message across the country.
“It was just a ten minute ceremony at the Dhuni but he was not allowed. This was the most immature decision and a foolish thing to do. It was totally uncalled for. The tradition has been followed for centuries. This is our culture and the tradition should have been followed gracefully,” he said.
The Mewar family head used to be called ‘Maharana’, a title which was abolished by the government of India in 1971. However, in community and social circles, many still regard the head as ‘Maharana’.
When Mewar was a princely state before integration of Rajasthan, the ‘Maharana’ used to have 16 ‘Umrao’ (or ministers), 32 ‘Thikanerdar’ (Battisa) and several Gol sardars for ruling the state.
The titular head is still given the same respect and regard as that of the erstwhile Maharaja and all erstwhile ‘Umraos’, ‘Thikanerdar’ and other ‘sardars’ follow the hierarchy during ceremonies as part of the tradition.
In Monday’s anointment ceremony of Vishvaraj Singh in Chittorgarh fort, heads of the Rajput families from Mewar region who held such titles assembled and unanimously accepted Vishvaraj Singh as the head of Mewar family and declared him the titular ‘Mahrana’.
In the ceremony, Vishwaraj’s ‘Tilak’ was done by the head of erstwhile Salumbar royal family, Devvrat Singh who slashed his finger on a sword and anointed him in blood- a tradition which has been followed for hundreds of years.
Vishvraj and others had plans to go to pay obeisance at the ‘Dhuni’ in Udaipur city palace and at Eklingnathji temple but both the places are under the control of Arvind Singh Mewar and to prevent him from entering both the places, he through his lawyer got published two public notices in local newspapers on Monday to warn legal action on trespass or damage to property.
When Vishvaraj Singh and others reached outside the city palace, they were prevented by the police. Vishvraj waited for several hours at Jagdish Chowk to enter the city palace but tension escalated in the night when there was stone pelting from both sides.
Looking at the situation, the district administration has appointed a receiver for a portion where the dhuni is located in the city palace and further decisions regarding the entry will be taken by the receiver.
After Dhuni, Vishvaraj was scheduled to go to Eklinnathji temple in Udaipur where he was to be given a ‘Chhadi’ or stick of silver as a symbol of ‘Deewan’ of Eklingnathji.
However, Vishvaraj Singh, who was waiting in Jagdish Chowk, returned to his residence in Udaipur at 1.30 am Tuesday without visiting the city palace.
Collector Arvind Poswal said that talks with both the sides have been going on to resolve the issue. He said that there is peace in the area. The collector said that legal action in connection with last night’s stone pelting will be taken.
When contacted, Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar did not respond to calls.
Eklingji, a manifestation of lord Shiva, has been the deity of the erstwhile rulers of Mewar and is believed to be the ruling god of Mewar.
Maharana of the erstwhile royal dynasty ruled as his Deewan (or trustee).
As part of the ritual to end the mourning, the titular head is also given a colourful turban in the Eklingnathji temple which is replaced by the white turban which symbolises mourning.
Vishvraj Singh and others wanted to complete these rituals.
(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)
