Also, as part of the IDY celebrations, entry to all ASI sites will be "free of cost" for the public on June 21, the ministry of culture said in a statement on Friday.
Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, a member of the Mewar royal family, was enthroned as the new head of the dynasty in a ceremony steeped in tradition at the Udaipur City Palace. The event was marked by a ceremonial yagya and the presence of distinguished guests, but also shadowed by a bitter dispute over succession with his cousin Vishvaraj Singh Mewar, who was declared the 77th Maharana of Mewar in a parallel coronation in November 2024. The ongoing feud highlights the long-standing conflicts over the legacy of the Mewar dynasty.
The situation outside the palace was tense with a heavy deployment of police to prevent any untoward incident. Stones were reportedly pelted from inside the palace.
A dispute over property and the right to succeed the titular head of the Mewar royal family in Udaipur, Rajasthan, has escalated into a major controversy. Vishvaraj Singh Mewar, a BJP MLA and the newly appointed titular head, was denied entry to the city palace and Eklingnathji temple by his uncle Arvind Singh Mewar and his son Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar. The incident sparked violent protests and the district administration has appointed a receiver to manage the controversial portion of the city palace where the 'Dhuni' (sacred fire) is located. This dispute raises questions about the future of the Mewar family's legacy and its historical traditions.
The district administration has appointed a receiver to oversee a controversial portion of City Palace in Udaipur following tension over Vishvaraj Singh, the new ceremonial head of the erstwhile royal family, being denied entry.
Vishvaraj Singh Mewar, the newly anointed titular head of the erstwhile Royal family of Mewar, visited the Eklingnathji temple and Udaipur City Palace to complete his father's mourning rituals. The visit to the city palace was met with a deadlock as the property is under the control of his uncle Arvind Singh Mewar, who warned of legal action on trespass. However, after a consensus was reached, Vishvaraj Singh and four others were allowed to enter the palace premises for darshan. The visit comes after violent clashes in the city following the coronation ceremony of Vishvaraj Singh in Chittorgarh fort.
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Mahendra Singh, whose death has convulsed the Mewar royal family's succession issues, was himself excluded from the family trust by his father who gave control to the younger son, Arvind Singh. It is this decision that years later has cast a shadow on Vishvaraj Singh's coronation, reports Prakash Bhandari.
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The Karni Sena had alleged distortion of historical facts in the period drama starring Padukone, Shahid Kapur and Ranveer Singh.
'No country has a richer history than India. We cannot let someone twist our history.'
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) which opened its monuments and museums on July 6 has capped visitor entry at every site from 1,000-2,500 per slot -- 9 am to 12 pm and 12 pm to 6 pm, officials said. Tickets to visit these places can be booked online.
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Rajasthan's royal architecture and striking landscapes are a hot favourite among tourists and film-makers. Its majestic beauty and history has coloured many a movies and their visuals to unforgettable effect.
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President of Rajput Karni Sena, Mahipal Singh Makrana, said the messages on the stones were written to provoke the outfit.
The Rajput Karni Sena, the Sarv Samaj Sangathan and some other outfits have a problem with the movie -- calling it disrespectful.
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Members of the Shri Rajput Karni Sena, an organisation representing Rajputs, burnt posters of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's upcoming movie 'Padmavati' in Jaipur, accusing him of backtracking on a "promise" to screen the film before a panel of intellectuals before its release.
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He said that distortion of historic facts will not be tolerated at any cost, which was well communicated to the film maker five-six months back in Mumabi.
'I have only this to say to those who talk about Mewar rulers and Akbar's brutality -- do you expect a king to not expand his kingdom?' 'You have entire cities named after Muslim rulers. It's time our heroes got their due.'
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