Udaipur Royal Family Property Row Turns Violent, 3 Injured During Stone Pelting by Supporters
The long-standing property dispute between members of the House of Mewar, an erstwhile royal family of Udaipur, has manifested in violent clashes between supporters of Mahendra Singh Mewar and Arvind Singh Mewar outside City Palace in Udaipur. Three people have been injured in the clashes that followed a traditional royal event on November 25, 2024, when Vishwaraj Singh Mewar, son of Mahendra Singh Mewar, underwent his Rajtilak or royal coronation at the historic Fateh Prakash Palace in Chittorgarh.
The clash erupted when Vishwaraj Singh Mewar supporters who had attended the coronation ceremony at Jayabagh came to City Palace to worship Dhuni Mata. The police stationed barricades along the streets to regulate the movement of people, and the royal supporters started to push through the security lines. Though police allowed only three vehicles to enter, the supporters demanded permission for ten vehicles to pass through. This precipitated clashes, during which the police intervened with minimal force to quell the mob.
The situation worsened when supporters of both factions threw stones at one another. Arvind Singh Mewar, who currently administers the City Palace based on the will of Bhagwat Singh Mewar, who died sometime later, reportedly denied the opposing faction entry, which precipitated the violent clash.
The royal family of Udaipur has, since long, had feuds and traditions; now it's Vishwaraj Singh Mewar, with political and familial tensions. He being the heir apparent, his coronation was very political symbolism-in that he was coronated along with his wife Mahima Kumari Mewar who is BJP MP.
The blood-tilak ceremony is a time-honoured tradition, followed since the days of Maharana Pratap, that has been further complicating the internal row in the royal family. As was done since the times of Maharana Pratap, when a blood-tilak was applied in the coronation as a symbol of sacrifice and strength over 450 years ago, such practice continues today.
This notwithstanding, officials of Udaipur district said that the situation is brought under control with incessant talks being held to resolve the dispute. Both sides are still in talks, but some of the issues have been already resolved, while the disputes over the royal legacy and property continue.