The social and cultural consciousness of western Rajasthan has been dominated by the legacy of Jodhpur and its royal lineage. And in that is embedded the image of one man, Bapji. King at the age of four, yet deeply connected, socially and culturally, to the soul of Marwar.
He is not a politician, yet his role has been considered important in every election.
This is the story of Gaj Singh Ji, the former Maharaja of Jodhpur.
His father died in a plane crash when he was barely four. He was then declared the ruler of Jodhpur.
A book based on his life, "Bapji: Maharaja of Jodhpur Marwar: the king who would be man", was launched at the Jaipur Literature Festival.
The book, written by Yogi Vaid and Aman Nath, is not just a biography of Bapji, but also offers a glimpse into the changing role of royal families in modern India.
The decades of the 1950s, 60s, and 70s proved decisive for royal families.
In independent India, princely states were abolished, and along with them, special privileges and privy purses came to an end.
Maintaining palaces and forts, and paying salaries to hundreds of attendants, employees, and servants, became a major challenge.
Despite his young age, how Bapji managed the Jodhpur estate and gave it a new identity is the story this book tells.
His father's untimely death plunged not only the royal family but the entire city of Jodhpur into mourning.
Bapji's father, Maharaja Hanwant Singh, had participated in India's first general election in 1952.
He won both the Lok Sabha and Assembly seats, but died before the election results were announced.
Independent candidates won 31 out of 35 seats in Marwar in the 1952 elections, posing a major challenge to the Congress.
Maharaja Hanwant Singh and his younger queen Zubeida, known in the royal family as Vidya, were killed in a plane crash.
Delving into the family dynamics, the book mentions Bapji's mother Krishna Kumari and how she accepted the other women in her husband Maharaja Hanwant Singh's life.
While Maharaja Hanwant Singh lived in Umaid Bhawan with his second wife, Sandra - a British woman he lived and traveled with - Krishna Kumari lived separately in the Raika Bagh Palace.
After the relationship with Sandra ended, Maharaja Hanwant Singh began a relationship with Zubeida, a story that was the subject of a controversial film by the same name directed by Shyam Benegal.
The royal family of Jodhpur never accepted the script of the film, starring Karisma Kapoor and Rekha in lead roles, as authentic.
This biography talks about Zubeida and how, after she died in the plane crash, her five-month-old son was brought up by Gaj Singh's mother as her own child.
The aircraft in which Zubeida died was being flown by Maharaja Hanwant Singh himself, who was a trained pilot.
His death in the crash raised several unanswered questions.
"It was an extremely difficult time. My mother took complete responsibility in 1952. I was only four years old. I remember being taken to Mehrangarh Fort, where my coronation took place. After that, I went abroad for my education," Gaj Singh Ji, who was in Jaipur for the book launch, told NDTV in an exclusive interview.
"But when our privy purses were abolished in the 1970s, my mother said the family needed me. I returned. We had large palaces and hundreds of staff, but not enough resources to maintain them. I reorganised everything. Today, by God's grace, our hotels and museums are our means of livelihood, and through them we are able to preserve our heritage," he said.
Along with preserving heritage, engaging in social service, staying connected with people, and strengthening his role in the desert region of western Rajasthan gradually became Gaj Singh Ji's identity.
During the Bhairon Singh Shekhawat government, he was appointed Chairman of the Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation (RTDC).
His initiatives spurred other royal families to convert their palaces into hotels, supported by new state financial incentives.
Heritage tourism emerged in Rajasthan, and Bapji's social and political influence began to grow.
His support in Marwar seats was decisive, yet Gaj Singh Ji never entered active politics.
"I have been a member of the Rajya Sabha, but I did not want to associate myself with any single political party. My father won 31 seats in Marwar through independent candidates in 1952. My mother also contested elections, and her slogan was, 'Times have changed, but relationships have not.' I find politics very divisive, as it splits people into different groups," he said.
While his palaces are now world-class hotels, a quieter side of Bapji's life revolves around deep-rooted social and environmental work.
He established the Jal Bhagirathi Foundation for water conservation in the desert region, which works to preserve traditional water sources.
He also fought against social evils such as child marriage and discrimination against women by establishing several schools and hostels for girls' education.
The book launched at the Jaipur Literature Festival includes rare photographs from the royal family archives, many of which have never been made public before.
Taking charge of his heritage during difficult times and giving it a global identity is the true story of "The King Who Would Be Man."
"Whatever you do, do it with complete dedication. Preserve your heritage and play a leadership role in society," he said, signing off.
