Heart of gold
Over the years, Maharaja of Jodhpur, HH Gaj Singh II, has always been working towards the development of Jodhpur. A city steeped in rich history and culture, Jodhpur has grown to be an attractive tourist destination over the last few decades. From being an attractive tourist spot to a revenue-generating business model, Jodhpur has undergone a distinct makeover, and all thanks to the efforts of the Maharaja Gaj Singh.
After introducing several initiatives in the city, the royalty has gone a step ahead to change the face of Jodhpur by launching the Jodhpur One World Retreat for the first time to focus on the alarming increase in the cases of head injuries in India.
The Maharaja says, “After setting up the Indian Head Injury Foundation five years ago, we now felt that we needed to take it to the next level by raising awareness and resources for the cause and the foundation. The retreat is an endeavour to bring likeminded people from across the world on a common platform to discuss future initiatives.”
Not many know that Maharaja Gaj Singh’s stylish and polo-playing son Shivraj Singh encountered a fatal accident and suffered a serious head injury on the polo grounds in Jaipur in 2005, and has ever since been making a slow and excruciating recovery. It was a difficult time since there weren’t any state-of-art facilities available in India. That’s when Singh decided to launch the Indian Head Injury Foundation (IIHF).
“It wasn’t easy at all. We were lucky to find the right medical assistance and to have the means to get our son the best treatment. We realised that the facilities available locally were not adequate and the first aid given during the ‘Golden hour’ after the accident and injury were extremely crucial. We also had to look for expert medical aid outside the country to speed up his recovery,” says Singh.
The otherwise flamboyant Maharaja was known to have mellowed down after Shivraj’s accident and took a while to get over the grief. Sources close the Maharaja say that his health too had deteriorated after his son’s accident. The locals of Jodhpur almost worship the Maharaja for his initiatives to bring in more employment opportunities in the city.
“The mission of IHIF is to create awareness, provide training, and set up rehab centres for aftercare of head injury patients. This is an ongoing project and we have a number of initiatives in the pipeline. Jodhpur still has a long way to go before it can become a premier medical tourism destination. We are working towards this and maybe one day we will get there,” says Singh.
Known to hobnob and schmooze with the elite and the different royalties, Singh has invited over 250 luminaries from around the globe for the retreat which will have three days of culture, music, art and spirituality. Some of the illustrious names on the list include Prince Andrew Duke of York, Sir Bob Geldof, Mukesh Ambani among others.
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