Jaipur’s last titular maharaja dies at 80
The chief of Kachawah clan of Rajputs, Brigadier Bhawani Singh passed away late on Saturday night at a private hospital in Gurgaon. He was the eldest son of late Maharaja Swai Man Singh of Jaipur and the stepson of late Gayatri Devi. He was 80 years old.
The funeral will take place on Monday at “Gaitor” in Jaipur, the placed marked as royal crematorium. According to family sources, he was earlier admitted in a private hospital in Gurgaon and died due to multiple organ failure. The last titular maharaja of Jaipur’s former royal family, had served in the Army and was hailed as a hero in the Indo-Pak war of 1970 when the Army captured Chhachro in Sindh.
The news of his death was received with grief and sorrow in Jaipur. The “Panchranga” flag of Jaipur’s former royal family was flown at half mast at the city palace. Bhawani Singh was married to Sirmur princess Padmini. His daughter Diya is married to Narendra Singh. Brig. Singh had willed his grandson Kumar Padamnabh Singh, to be his heir on 22 November, 2002.
The state government has declared two-day-mourning while a local holiday has been declared in Jaipur on Monday.
Brig. Singh was commissioned into the Indian Army in the 3d Cavalry Regiment as second Lieutenant in 1951 and subsequently he was selected as the President’s bodyguard. Singh also helped in training the “Mukti Vahini” before the formation of Bangladesh in 1970.
For his services, he was awarded the Mahavir Chakra. In 1970, after death of Maharaja Swai Man Singh, the President of India recognised him as the successor and a notification was issued for the same.
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