Arvind Singh Mewar, member of erstwhile royal family, passes away

Arvind Singh Mewar, the 81-year-old scion of the Mewar family and chairman of the HRH Group of Hotels, passed away early Sunday morning in Udaipur, Rajasthan , following a prolonged illness. Mewar, a descendant of Rajput king Maharana Pratap, was under treatment at his residence in City Palace in Udaipur. He is survived by wife Vijayraj Kumari, son Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar and daughters Bhargavi Kumari Mewar and Padmaja Kumari Parmar. He  was widely known for his leadership in the hospitality industry. The HRH Group of Hotels, founded by his father in 1963, includes properties such as the Lake Palace and other heritage hotels in Udaipur. Arvind Singh Mewar was the 76th custodian of the House of Mewar.The funeral will take place on Monday.
Born on December 13, 1944, to Bhagwat Singh Mewar and Shushila Kumari, Arvind Singh Mewar was the second son of the family. He received his early education at home before attending Mayo College in Ajmer, where he passed his Senior Cambridge in 1961. Mewar later pursued his studies at Maharana Bhupal College, Udaipur, and graduated in 1965.Mewar went on to study hotel management in the UK at Metropolitan College, St Albans, and then furthered his education in the USA. In Chicago, he received on-the-job training in hospitality services, gaining a deep understanding of the industry.
As a mark of respect, the Udaipur City Palace will be closed for tourists on Sunday and Monday. His elder brother Mahendra Singh Mewar died in November last year. An avid cricketer, Mewar made his debut in Ranji Trophy as Rajasthan's skipper in 1945-46 and had an eventful career for almost two decades. He was a polo-player in the 1970s before he gave up the sport due to medical reasons.To showcase his commitment to professional polo in the UK, he instituted 'The Udaipur Cup' at the Cambridge and Newmarket Polo Club.Apart from his contributions to the hospitality industry, Mewar was also known for his collection of fine crystal and antique cars, which were displayed for the public at the palace.