Chaitanya Raj Singh

Chaitanya Raj Singh
Princely arms of Jaisalmer State featuring a shield, fort symbols, and animal supports
Princely arms of the Princes of Jaisalmer[1]
Born (1993-12-24) 24 December 1993
FatherBrijraj Singh
MotherRaseshwari Rajya Laxmi

Chaitanya Raj Singh (born 24 December 1993) is the head of the Bhati clan, an erstwhile ruling dynasty of Jaisalmer.

Early life, family, and education

Singh was born on 24 December 1993 as the first child of Brijraj Singh and his wife, Raseshwari Rajya Laxmi.[2] His mother is a descendant of Bir Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana.[3] He first studied at New Delhi's Sanskriti School and then went to SOAS University of London to study politics.[4][5]

Career

He is the founder of Everest Eco Hemp Pvt. Ltd., director of Polstrat Communications Pvt. Ltd., and director of Citta Education Foundation India.[6] He is also Chairman of the Girdhar Smark Dharmath Nyas Trust, which runs the Jaisalmer Fort Palace Museum.[6] He is actively involved in promoting sustainable development, heritage restoration, education, and water conservation in Jaisalmer.[5]

Succession

Singh succeeded his father on 28 December 2020.[7] Traditionally, the Maharawal, a title held by his forefathers, is also regarded as the head of the Bhati clan of Rajputs.[8][9] A ceremony "installing" him was held on 15 January 2021 at Jaisalmer Fort.[10][11] It was attended by descendants of various erstwhile royal families and other people in attendance estimated to be 25,000–30,000.[11][12] Afterwards, he went in a procession throughout the city of Jaisalmer in an open jeep with a cavalcade of horses, camels and a band.[12]

His self-styled title holds no official status or recognition under Indian law.[13] The twenty-sixth amendment to the Constitution of India abolished the formal recognition of royal titles, privileges, and associated entitlements previously granted to the rulers of princely states.[13]

Engagements

On 30 August 2025, the cities of Jaisalmer and Carcassonne in Occitania, France, entered into a twinning agreement.[14][15] He attended the signing of the agreement and was made honorary citizen of Carcassonne.[15] On 5 August 2026, he requested the NCERT to remove a factually incorrect map in the Social Science textbook for Class 8 (Unit 3, page 71) that depicted Jaisalmer as part of the then Maratha Empire.[5][16] Following critical reception from various quarters, NCERT eventually expunged the controversial map.[5][17]

References

  1. ↑ Lethbridge, Sir Roper (1893). The Golden Book of India: A Genealogical and Biographical Dictionary of the Ruling Princes, Chiefs, Nobles, and Other Personages, Titled or Decorated, of the Indian Empire. London: Macmillan and Co. p. 204.
  2. ↑ Soszynski, Henry. "JAISALMER". members.iinet.net.au. Archived from the original on 2017-07-18. Retrieved 2026-04-09.
  3. ↑ SJB Rana, Prabhakar; SJB Rana, Pashupati; SJB Rana, Gautam (2003). The Ranas of Nepal. Timeless Books. p. 204.
  4. ↑ "From Patiala's Princess Inayatinder Kaur to Jaisalmer's Chaitanya Raj, A look at India's royal reformers - From Patiala's Princess Inayatinder Kaur to Jaisalmer's Chaitanya Raj, a look at India's royal reformers -". Hello Magazine. Retrieved 2026-04-09.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Who is Chaitanya Raj Singh, and why is he trending". The Times of India. 2025-08-08. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2026-04-09.
  6. 1 2 "The New York Family Office Conference". The New York Family Office Conference. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  7. ↑ "Scion of Jaisalmer's erstwhile royal family Brijraj Singh dies". The Times of India. 2020-12-29. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2026-04-09.
  8. ↑ Lethbridge, Sir Roper (1893). The Golden Book of India: A Genealogical and Biographical Dictionary of the Ruling Princes, Chiefs, Nobles, and Other Personages, Titled Or Decorated, of the Indian Empire. Macmillan. p. 204.
  9. ↑ The Encyclopaedia Britannica: A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and General Literature. Little, Brown. 1902. pp. 748–749.
  10. ↑ ANI (2021-01-15). "Sonar Fort witnesses coronation of Chaitanya Raj Singh as 44th 'Maharawal' of Jaisalmer - www.lokmattimes.com". Lokmat Times. Retrieved 2026-04-09.
  11. 1 2 Bharat, E. T. V. (2021-01-15). "WATCH: Chaitanya Raj Singh Bhati takes oath as 44th Jaisalmer king". ETV Bharat News. Retrieved 2026-04-09.
  12. 1 2 "Chaitanyaraj Singh crowned 44th Maharawal of Jaisalmer". The Times of India. 2021-01-16. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2026-04-09.
  13. 1 2 Parliament of India (1971). The Constitution of India (26th Amendment) Act 1971. pp. 813–814.
  14. ↑ Bharat, E. T. V. (2025-08-31). "Jaisalmer Inks Deal With Historic French City Carcassonne For Cultural, Urban Development". ETV Bharat News. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  15. 1 2 Bharat, E. T. V. (2024-10-27). "Talks On To Boost Tourism In Jaisalmer On Lines Of Southern France's Carcassonne City". ETV Bharat News. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  16. ↑ <ref>India Today Education Desk (2025-08-06). "Jaisalmer royal slams NCERT for showing region under Maratha rule in 1759". India Today. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  17. ↑ "NCERT removes controversial map from Class 8 textbook after historical objections". The Times of India. 2026-03-17. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
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