When Her Majesty's Government wanted to honour one of my forefathers, Maharana Fateh Singhji with the highest title of Grand Commander of the Star of India, G.C.S.I., in 1887, he is said to have remarked, "The Maharanas of Udaipur have been hailed as 'Hindua Sooraj' since centuries, I have no need to become a mere 'star'." He was persuaded by the Agent Governor General to accept the honour. By his response Maharana Fateh Singhji demonstrated a sense of dignity and the streak of independence that's been the hallmark of Custodians of the House of Mewar. I cannot think of any other Indian Royal who would have responded with such quiet confidence and characteristic panache, not just in the 19th but also in the 20th century. It's an apt example of how one can remain loyal to cherished values, despite changing times and the equations of power.
When the mantle of the 76th Custodianship fell upon me in 1984, I realised the enormity of this challenge of how to remain contemporary yet true to one's heritage and legacies. In management jargon one would say, I had to 'restructure' the organisation and focus on the 'vision' of the House of Mewar. It was a tough job to make the transition, while building upon the platforms that one had inherited. I understood how important it was to remain 'loyal' to values, especially the core value of custodianship that’s defined the character of our House for centuries.
I hope over these decades I have been successful in my endeavour. The loyalty we have demonstrated is evident in the respect and honour which we continue to command from the world around us. It's like establishing a new equation of loyalty in an era when royalty is merely captured in the pages of glossy coffee-table books. The duties we continue to discharge reflect our moral responsibilities. It's a voluntary and self-willed response; and extremely satisfying for us. While the sun may have set on the British Empire, we can safely say the sun, and not to forget the stars, continue to shine in our world where everything has changed. Yet nothing has changed.
When the mantle of the 76th Custodianship fell upon me in 1984, I realised the enormity of this challenge of how to remain contemporary yet true to one's heritage and legacies. In management jargon one would say, I had to 'restructure' the organisation and focus on the 'vision' of the House of Mewar. It was a tough job to make the transition, while building upon the platforms that one had inherited. I understood how important it was to remain 'loyal' to values, especially the core value of custodianship that’s defined the character of our House for centuries.
I hope over these decades I have been successful in my endeavour. The loyalty we have demonstrated is evident in the respect and honour which we continue to command from the world around us. It's like establishing a new equation of loyalty in an era when royalty is merely captured in the pages of glossy coffee-table books. The duties we continue to discharge reflect our moral responsibilities. It's a voluntary and self-willed response; and extremely satisfying for us. While the sun may have set on the British Empire, we can safely say the sun, and not to forget the stars, continue to shine in our world where everything has changed. Yet nothing has changed.
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