Arvind Sigh Khinwansar, Bikaner
Whenever it comes to royal families, the name of Bikaner royal family is taken with great respect. His Highness Maharaja Ganga Singh further enriched the history of Bikaner. He was one of the closest royal persons to Queen Victoria. This legacy has been carried forward by his successors. Princess Rajyashree Kumari has continued this responsibility with dignity.
Princess Rajyashree Kumari of Bikaner was born on 4 June 1953 in Bombay to Maharaja Dr. Karni Singh and Maharani Sushila Kumari. She was educated at the Convent of Jesus and Mary, New Delhi, and subsequently at Lady Shri Ram College for Women, New Delhi.
Her great grandfather Maharaja Ganga Singhji was an international personality and a great reformer and builder of his times. Her grandfather, Maharaja Sadul Singhji of Bikaner, was the first king to accede his state to the Indian Union at the time of independence, thus providing important historical leadership to all others to do the same, resulting in the creation of the united India.
Her father H. H. Dr. Karni Singhji served as an independent Member of Parliament for 25 years from 1952-1977. He was a member of the Lok Sabha, the elected House of People, for five consecutive terms. Maharaja Dr. Karni Singhji was involved in projects related to upgradation and renovation of Lalgarh Palace Hotel. He constructed a new purpose-built building for Shri Sadul Museum which still stands in its grandeur.
Princess Rajyashree Kumari has enriched her land with her philanthropic works, sports and writing talents. She has established a dedicated archival section in the Lalgarh Palace for preserving old historical material like Sanskrit manuscripts, bahis and photo albums etc., and enabling research scholars from India and abroad to carry out research.
She founded the Rajyashree Kumari Bikaner Religious and Charitable Trust in 1975, which provides scholarships for higher education to young school girls. She founded Maharaja Dr. Karni Singhji Memorial Foundation in 1999 in the sacred memory of his late father, which provides vital life saving equipment to the Paediatrics Department of PBM Hospital, Bikaner and helps in life saving surgeries etc. for young children.
She is the Chairperson of the Public Charitable Trust founded by Late Maharaja Dr. Karni Singhji, which does several philanthropic works for the underprivileged population of the Bikaner region. She is life member of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), member of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), India. She is also involved in projects related to the restoration and conservation of heritage properties and ancestral forts, palaces and old mausoleums.
Her hobbies are reading, sports, travelling and writing books on family history and palaces and forts. She authored three books titled “The Lallgarh Palace: Home of the Maharajas of Bikaner, “The Maharajas of Bikaner” and “Palace of Clouds A Memoir.”
Princess Rajshree Kumari comes from a very long tradition of great shooters. Her great-grandfather Maharaja Ganga Singhji and her grandfather Maharaja Sadul Singhji were also keen shooters and travelled on many hunting expeditions within India as well as outside India. Her father Maharaja Dr. Karni Singhji represented India in five Olympics, five world-shooting championships and numerous other national and international shooting championships. Following the family tradition of shooting, her father trained her in this sport at a very young age winning her first competition at the age of 7 years. She stands unrivalled in target shooting. She was declared the “Player of the Year” in 1969 and was awarded the much-coveted trophy “Arjuna Award” when she was just 16 years old. This award is the highest honour given by India to its sportsmen and sportswomen for their outstanding achievements.
Princess Rajyashree Kumari has a daughter Anupama Kumari and a son Sajjan Singh.
Princess Rajshree Kumari says, “It is a rare honour and privilege to serve the house of Bikaner into which I am born. Though the task is onerous no doubt, but what is life if there are no challenges?”
Remembering her father, international shooter Dr. Karni Singhji, Princess Rajyashree says that I am proud of my state, my family that gave me so much potential and nurtured me with good values. The royal family has always received love from the common people of Bikaner and I hope that this love will continue in the future as well.
On your birthday, we the people of Bikaner wish that you stay healthy and continue to pay attention to the interests of the common people of Bikaner and make every effort to solve their problems.
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