Arvind Singh Mewar

Some Lesser Known Facts About Arvind Singh Mewar

• He grew up in Udaipur, Kingdom of Mewar, India.

  

• During his college days, he captained the Mayo College Cricket Team. Later, he led the First Rajasthan Schools Cricket Team in the All India Schools Tournament.

• After that, he became the captain of the Rajasthan University and Udaipur University cricket teams.

• He played in various inter-university tournaments and played Ranji Trophy matches under his father’s captaincy.

• On 15 December 1961, he made his Ranji Trophy debut against Vidarbha at Bhopal Nobles’ College ground.

• He opened the innings and played alongside his father.

• After that, they played several Ranji Trophy matches together, including against Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

• His father, Maharana Bhagwat Singhji, retired from cricket in 1962.

• He captained the Udaipur cricket team that won the Colvin Shield in the 1963-64 season.

• Under his leadership, the Cricket Institute of Udaipur was established to promote cricket across Rajasthan.

• He was a member of the Rajasthan Cricket Association, the Cricket Club of India, the Bombay Cricket Association, and the Marylebone Cricket Club in London.

  

• After completing hotel management studies at Metropolitan College in St. Albans, England, in 1967, he moved to Chicago, USA, to earn on-the-job training in hospitality.

• During his college days, he learnt music and practised the sitar daily.

  

• He was the chairman and managing director of the HRH Group of Hotels, which was founded by his father in 1963.

• He has a collection of crystals and antique cars in his palace, which are open to the public.

• His wife is the daughter of Fateh Singh, whose grandfather was Vijayarajaji, the Maharao of Cutch.

• In 1975-76, he led the Udaipur District Cricket Association team and won another Colvin Shield victory.

• He lived and worked in Chicago, USA, from 1979 to 1981.

• From 1981 to 1984, he worked as his father’s personal secretary in Udaipur, India. He used to manage appointments, guest relations, and travel.

• He worked as the General Manager of Lake Palace Hotel, Udaipur, from 1981 to 1982.

  

• After his father, Bhagwat Singh Mewar, passed away, some conflicts started growing among his descendants over leadership and property.

• The dispute began in 1984 when his father willed all his property to Arvind through a trust. Bhagwat disinherited his eldest son, Mahendra Singh Mewar, who had sued him.

• Arvind was named the executor of the will, and his sister, Yogeshwari Kumari, was appointed as the trustee.

• Reportedly, the will was kept secret until Bhagwat Singh Mewar’s death. It raised doubts about its validity.

• After his father’s death, Arvind took leadership of the House of Mewar and earned the title of Shriji Hazoor.

• Mahendra was declared the Maharana of Mewar by the Rawat of Salumber on 19 November 1984. The Maharanas were not rulers but custodians or diwans of Mewar on behalf of Sri Eklingji.

• He was the Chairman and Managing Trustee of the Maharana Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) in Udaipur.

• He had been a member of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).

• He had served as an advisor to the Rajiv Gandhi Tourism Development Mission and as an Executive Member of the Rajasthan Foundation.

• Under his leadership, several charitable trusts, including MMCF, Vidyadan Trust, Maharana Mewar Historical Publications Trust, and Rajmata Gulab Kunwarji Charitable Trust, undertook over 50 development projects in and around Udaipur.

• The Trusts under his leadership managed and developed key projects like the City Palace Museum, Maharana Mewar Special Library, Maharana Mewar Research Institute, the publications division, and educational institutes.

• The HRH Group of Hotels, Udaipur, is the main commercial venture of the House of Mewar and is India’s largest and only privately owned chain of heritage palace hotels and resorts.

• As Chairman and Managing Director of the HRH Group of Hotels, he provided royal experiences in island palaces, museums, galleries, and car collections.

• In 2000, he took up aviation as a sport. He then earned a pilot licence and completed solo flights across India using a microlite aircraft stationed at Shikarbadi Airport.

• In June 2002, as patron-in-chief, he supported the Wings of India Microlite Aircraft Expedition, which put Shikarbadi Airport on the international aviation map. The route was from Udaipur to Wisconsin, USA.

• The travel was supported by Indian Airlines, Tata Group, Titan, Indian Oil, the Government of India’s Department of Tourism, Rajasthan Tourism, Dainik Bhaskar, Aero Club of India, and the HRH Group of Hotels.

• He had served the Rajasthan government as an Executive Member of The Rajasthan Foundation.

  

• He was also on the National Advisory Board of the Jaipur Virasat Foundation and was an Honorary Patron of the Jaipur Heritage International Festival.

• He was a patron of the K and K Social Foundation (Kashmir to Kerala), Mumbai.

• He had served on the Council of Advisory for Leap Foundation’s SPPEEDD India, Mumbai.

• He was on the Advisory Board for the APAC CXO Forum.

• He was involved with the Udaipur Chapter of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH).

• He was a member of the Rajasthan Association of North America (RANA) and the Taj Association of Art, Culture, and Heritage (TAACH).

• He was a trustee of the Meher Bhargava Foundation, Lucknow.

• He served as Chairman of the Implementation and Coordination Committee for the Dewas Project, Udaipur.

• As a sports patron, he supported the Udaipur Equine Institute and the Imperial Riding and Polo Club.

  

• He was also a patron of The Cambridge and Newmarket Polo Club in Cambridgeshire, UK.

• He was a member of The Royal Society of British Artists, London, UK.

• On 27 March 2011, he was appointed as an Honorary Member of The Grenadiers Association.

• He was a primary member of the Confederation of Indian Industry – Family Business Network India Chapter.

• He was a member of the Amateur Riders Club, Mumbai, and The Taj Chambers at the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower, Mumbai.

• He was associated with The Royal Western India Turf Club, Mumbai, and The Bombay Gymkhana.

• He was part of the Vauxhall Owners Club, UK, M.G. Owners Club, UK, and the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts’ Club, UK (for Rolls-Royce and Bentley enthusiasts).

• He was a member of the Lions Club, Udaipur, the Field Club, Udaipur, and the Naka Madar Residents’ Welfare Society.

• In 2020, a court judged that the Mewar property should be divided equally among Arvind, Mahendra, and Yogeshwari.

• He had been featured on the cover of many renowned magazines and tabloids.

  

• Travelling to distant places and horse riding were his favourite recreational activities.

  

• He was in good health for most of his life, but he became unwell in his final years.

• He was receiving treatment at his residence, the City Palace in Udaipur.

• After his death on 16 March 2025, his body was kept at Shambu Niwas for relatives, friends, and the public to pay their respects.

• Once during a media conversation, he shared that he never forgot that life was a mirage. He said,
  

  But I never forget that life is just a mirage … and possessions are not forever. The hand of divinity directs me and I am connected to my God all the time. He doesn’t check to see if I’m wearing Prada!”