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 Bharatiya Janata Party (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. A grand temple of Lord Bholenath is located at Kailashpuri, 22 kilometres away from the city. Eklingnathji is worshipped as the family deity of the Maharajas of Mewar. The City Palace area remains under prohibitory orders, imposed under Section 163 of the BNSS (formerly Section 144 of CrPC) 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.
Reacting to the violent clash that broke out between his supporters and representatives of the Udaipur City Palace on Monday night after he was blocked from entering the palace, Vishvaraj Singh said that the entire controversy was unnecessary. He said that it is a normal ritual for any royal family member to visit the Dhuni temple after the coronation. He added that it got unwanted attention because of the ban imposed on his visit.
"There are no legal or social factors that stop me from visiting the temple. Dhuni is a holy place blessed by the presence of our ancestors. People visit this place with faith and respect." he added. Vishvraj Singh Mewar dismissed allegations that they were trespassing the temples as baseless. He also questioned the inaction of the administration against those who pelted stones. 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.
However, his uncle Arvind Singh Mewar through his lawyer got two public notices published in
Arvind Singh Mewar, the younger brother of Mahendra Singh Mewar, is the chairman and managing trustee of the trust. The City Palace is also under his control.
After the notices appeared, policemen were deployed at the entry gate of the palace.
When Vishvaraj Singh was denied entry, violent protests erupted following which the district administration appointed a receiver on Monday night for the controversial portion of the Palace where ‘Dhuni’ is situated. After this, Vishvaraj Singh returned to his residence without performing the ritual.
The stalemate between Vishvaraj and Arvind Singh Mewar’s family continued yesterday with Vishvaraj and Arvind Singh Mewar’s son Lakshyaraj Singh targeting each other without naming.
Lakshyaraj Singh told the media last night that endangering the lives of people in the name of ritual was not wrong. He alleged that some people on government posts were mounting pressure on administration for their vested interest and were trying to forcefully enter his house.
Lakshyaraj Singh suggested that if someone wants to seek entry; he should go to the court. However, he said that Eklingnathji temple is open to the public and anyone can go there.
Negotiations are continuing for facilitating Vishvaraj Singh’s entry to the palace for ‘dhuni’ darshan. SP Yogesh Goyal said that some senior officers have arrived in Udaipur to resolve the matter.
