NEW DELHI: Vishvaraj Singh Mewar, the newly anointed titular head of the Mewar royal family, visited the Eklingnathji temple on Wednesday to complete mourning rites for his late father, Mahendra Singh Mewar amid an ongoing dispute over access to Udaipur’s City Palace for performing rituals
Vishvaraj Singh, a BJP MLA, performed the rituals at the temple on Nathdwara Road to mark the end of the mourning period, which began after his father’s death on November 10. To ensure a smooth visit, additional security arrangements were in place.
The City Palace area remains under prohibitory orders, imposed under Section 163 of the BNSS (formerly Section 144 of CrPC), to maintain law and order. Tensions escalated earlier this week when Vishvaraj Singh was denied entry to the palace, where he had planned to offer prayers at a ‘dhuni’ (sacred fire) before heading to the temple.
The refusal followed two public notices published by Arvind Singh Mewar, the younger brother of Mahendra Singh Mewar and chairman of the Shree Eklingji Trust. The notices stated that entry to the palace and the temple on November 25 would be restricted to those authorised by the trust.
Violent protests erupted after Vishvaraj Singh was blocked from entering the palace, prompting the district administration to appoint a receiver on Monday night for the disputed portion of the palace housing the ‘dhuni’. As a result, Vishvaraj Singh returned home without completing the ritual.
The dispute has since seen both sides exchanging statements. Lakshyaraj Singh, Arvind Singh Mewar’s son, criticised the situation, saying, “Endangering the lives of people in the name of ritual was not wrong.” He also accused certain government officials of pressuring the administration to facilitate forced entry into his residence.
Lakshyaraj Singh suggested that court intervention was the proper channel for resolving entry issues but added that the Eklingnathji temple is open to the public.
Meanwhile, BJP MLA Jawahar Singh Bedam urged both sides to maintain peace and said, “Udaipur’s royal family is honoured not just by the people of Rajasthan, but also the whole country… When this matter was brought to the government’s notice, we directed the officers to ensure that peace and order was maintained…. I urge both families to remain patient and maintain peaceful order. The court will take whatever action is appropriate by law.”
Negotiations are ongoing to resolve the stalemate and facilitate Vishvaraj Singh’s access to the palace for the ritual. Senior officers have been deployed in Udaipur to mediate, according to SP Yogesh Goyal.