LIEUTENANT GENERAL AIR VICE MARSHAL HIS HIGHNESS MAHARAJA UMAID SINGHJI & WORLD LARGEST PRIVATE LIVING RESIDENCE - IMMORTAL RAJPUTS

He had an extravaganza of vision. 

He knew not only to dream but also to realise it.

Umaid Singh GCSI GCIE KCVO (8 July 1903 – 9 June 1947), also spelled Umed Singh, was Maharaja of Jodhpur from 1918 to his death.

Period

1918–1947

Predecessor

Sumer Singh

Heir apparent

Hanwant Singh

Born

8 July 1903

Jodhpur, Rajputana Agency, British India

Died

9 June 1947 (aged 43)

Issue

Hanwant Singh

House

Rathore-Jodhpur

Father

Maharaja Sardar Singh of Jodhpur

Religion

Hinduism

The second son of Sardar Singh of Jodhpur, he succeeded his elder brother Maharaja Sir Sumair Singh upon his death in 1918; in 1922 he served as the aide-de-camp to the Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII). Ruling under the regency of his granduncle until 1923, he was then formally invested as Maharaja by Lord Reading.

During his reign, Sir Umaid Singh reformed and reorganised the Jodhpur State Forces and the judicial department, introduced a scheme for extending primary education, revised the land revenue settlement and established state pensions and a Provident Fund for state employees. 

Maharaja Umaid Singh of Jodhpur - Donated 1 lakh ruppes for foundation of the BHU. He also endowed Chair of Technology with endowment of Rs 24000 a year

Enjoying a distinguished military career, he died at his estate on Mount Abu on 9 June 1947 after a reign of 29 years, aged but 43. He died from an acute attack of appendicitis while on a tiger hunt.

Maharaja Umaid Singh Of Jodhpur (center) and Maharaja Ajit Singh of Jodhpur (right) posing with hunting trophies.

Maharaja Umaid Singh’s passion for hunting. The Maharaja not just collected guns and hunted vociferously, but was also greatly interested in wildlife and conservation. He had even made a generous donation of Rs. 500 to the Bombay Natural History Society. 

Sardar Samand Lake And Palace

Built On The Banks Of The Sardar Samand Lake By Maharaja Umaid Singh In 1933, The Sardar Samand Lake Palace Is A Spectacular Hunting Lodge.

This 1927 Rolls-Royce Phantom was custom-made for His Highness Maharaja Umaid Singh to transport the ladies of the court: To keep them hidden, the car’s back windows feature blue purdah glass & fly screens at Museum of fine arts, Houston.

Honours 

Delhi Durbar silver medal-1911

Prince of Wales Visit Medal-1922

Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO)-1922

Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (GCIE)-1930

King George V Silver Jubilee Medal-1935

Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India (GCSI)-1936 (KCSI-1925)

King George VI Coronation Medal-1937

Grand Cross of the Order of the Dragon of Annam-1940

1939-1945 Star-1945

Africa Star-1945

War Medal 1939-1945-1945

India Service Medal-1945

Knight of the Order of St John (KStJ)-1946

Halvad-Dhrangadhra State Rajyabhisek Medal, 1st class-1948 (post-humous)

Maharaja Umaid Singh with Javaharlal Nehru & Indira Gandhi at 'The Monarch' Palace.[19th Century

Lieutenant General Air Vice Marshal His Highness Maharaja Umaid Singh (1918–1947) was the 37th Rathore Ruler of Marwar and is remembered as the monarch who skillfully and sensitively brought the fabled desert kingdom into the modern age.

There were many things about MahaRaja Umaid Singh Ji whether it was about taking his polo team to England. A keen sportsman, Maharaja Umaid Singh Ji was a competent polo player, a gifted marksman and angler, and loved the great outdoors.

Built by Maharaja Umaid Singh.

Massive and mesmerising - the Jawai Dam in Pali is the largest dam of western Rajasthan and also an ideal destination for  photographers & bird watchers.

The dam which remained as Jodhpur main water source even after half a century, the man himself was a true visionary. His famine relief policy which gave rise to this majestic palace when Marwar faced drought and famine for 3 consecutive years, leaving lot of people without any food or money. The Year was 1929, City was facing severe drought. The farmers of the area, facing hardship, met Maharaja Umaid Singh, Maharaja immediately ordered his Pradhan to release funds for the people, but what came as a shock shows the true character of Mitti of Rajasthan. People of Jodhpur declined any such offer which included handing out money as a charity & asked for work instead.

Maharaja Umaid Singh ji devised a plan to provide them with some employment so that they could survive the harsh conditions.The Maharaja, in order to help the farmers, decided to build a lavish palace. 

He commissioned the famous architect Henry von Lanchester as the architect to prepare the plan of palace. 

The palace was built at a slow pace as its initial objective was to provide employment to the famine-stricken farmers in the area. In meantime Maharaja Umaid Singh of Jodhpur launched probably the longest famine relief program which provided employment and money for the famine-stricken people for over a decade.

Maharaja Umaid Singh Ji Rathore passed 'Marwar Vaccination Act' to protect his subjects from infectious and uncurable diseases by door to door vaccination program about 102 years ago. Also, Vaccination was first introduced in Marwar in 1866 when 3,933 persons were vaccinated. 

The foundation stone was laid in 1929 and was completed in 14 yrs. About 2,000 to 3,000 people were employed in its construction.

On the same day, Maharaja also laid the foundation of Windham Hospital(now Mahatma Gandhi Hospital). 

Maharaja Ummed Singh built the Windam Hospital in 1932 for 15 lakh 30 thousand rupees, which was in the name of the then Viceroy.

In 1949, it was named Mahatma Gandhi Hospital. The hospital had a capacity of about 500 beds.

Another such famous building of Jodhpur which has been witness to the birth of most of the Jodhpurites. There is hardly anyone in Jodhpur who would not know about it. Umaid Janana Hospital was built by Maharaja Umaid Singh ji. 

Maharaja Umaid Singh ji is called the builder of modern Jodhpur because he got many new and modern works done in Jodhpur during his reign. In the year 1936, Maharaja Umaid Singh Ji had laid the foundation of the hospital with his own hands and its construction work was completed in 1938 AD. 

Maharaj Kumari Rajendra Kanwar Baiji Lal of Jodhpur. (the only daughter of the Maharaja of Jodhpur and later the Maharani Padmavati Devi 

of Baroda, wife of Maharaja Gaekwad Fatehsinhrao Gaekwad II of Baroda)

The hospital was inaugurated with a grand ceremony at the hands of Maharaj Kumaru Rajendra Kanwar Baiji Lal, the daughter of Maharaja Umaid Singh. At that time about 12.5 lakh rupees were spent to build this hospital. Cottage wards were made for the stay of 66 sick women and general ward beds for 1000 patients in the hospital. Seth Champalal Dhichan and Moolraj Golechha had given financial assistance of Rs 27000 in the construction of the hospital, so in his memory the Maharaja put a plaque in his name in the hospital and also honored him with gold, palanquin and Kaifiyat.

जोधपुर राज्य में देवस्थान, गोशाला, और आश्रमों को किस प्रकार सहायता दी जाती थी। आज के नेता उन राजाओं से कुछ सीख ले सकते हैं। From the Administration of Jodhpur state, 1938.

Umaid Bhawan Palace Jodhpur is a marvel built by Maharaja Umaid Singh of Rathore Dynasty. The youngest palace of India is an architectural splendor. Built between 1929-1942, this golden hued monument, made of desert sandstone, designed by famed Edwardian architect Henry Lancaster, commissioned by H.H. Maharaja Umaid Singh, grandfather of present Maharaja of Jodhpur, is a celebration of Art Deco style on the grandest scale.

The hill on which the palace is built was known as Chittar hill, thus the palace is also known as Chittar Palace. Sandstone blocks were transported from Sursagar and Fidusar quarries by special narrow gauge railway.  The palace was built by carving sandstone. During the construction of the palace, spices were not used to bind stones. This uniqueness attracts a large number of tourists to this palace. The architect of this beautiful palace was Henry Vaughan, an Englishman.

Umaid Bhawan Palace is one of the largest and most expensive palaces in India, built on an area of ​​about 26acres of land with 15 acres of gardens. It includes a throne room, private meeting hall, court hall, banquet hall, private dining hall, ballroom, library, indoor swimming pool and etc. The cost of its construction was about 11 million rupees, which was a huge cost at that time. The Umaid Bhawan was named after the Maharaja afterwards. There was some criticism for embarking on an expensive project but it had served the main purpose of helping the citizens of Jodhpur to face the drought & famine. Such were the values of even common people of Rajsthan.

Umaid Bhawan Palace is a palace located in the Jodhpur district of Rajasthan. It is one of the largest private palaces in the world. It is a part of the Taj Hotel. It was named by the grandson of Maharaja Umaid Singh, who is the current owner. At present, this palace has three hundred forty-seven rooms. Umaid Bhawan Palace was called Chittar Palace during its construction due to this Umaid Bhawan Palace being Chittar hill.

Colonnaded verandas guide one's eye up to intricately carved pillars, stylized sculptures and finally a massive central dome topped by a 30-meter golden cupola. Umaid Bhawan Palace is a perfect example of an Indo-colonial architectural style and deco-art. Deco art is a style dating back to the 1920s and1930s.

The inner dome of this palace is light blue in color with a diameter of about 31 meters, which is covered by an outer dome whose height is about 13 meters. This palace was used for the use of the erstwhile Jodhpur royal family. This is one such twentieth-century palace, built under the Draught relief project. Due to which the Draught-affected people got employment. This opulent edifice built of sandstone is now the residence of former rulers, one part of which runs a hotel and the other part houses a museum.

In 1971, MahaRaja Gaj Singh II decided to convert a part of the palace into a hotel. This palace is run by the “Taj Group of Hotels”, due to which it is also known as “Taj Umaid Bhawan Palace Jodhpur”. The view of this palace made of marble and sandstone attracts tourists especially. Watches and paintings of the ancient era are preserved even today in the museum of this palace. The memorial has 347 rooms, several courtyards, and a large banquet hall that can easily seat 300people.

A palace is also present in this palace, which contains the items of the rulers as well as some valuable things, including the symbolic flag, windmill, and lighthouse given by Queen Victoria to Queen Jaswant Singh in the year1877 AD. Size includes the collection of clocks etc. 

Presently the owner of Umaid Bhawan Palace is Maharaja Gaj Singh. The palace is mainly divided into three functional parts, the first being the residence of the royal family, the second Taj Palace Hotel and the third museum, which are used to display the objects of the rulers of the 20th century. 

The Prince of Wales (R) rides in a jeep with the Maharaja of Jodhpur, Shri Gaj Singh II (L) during his visit to the Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. The Prince of Wales is on an official nine-day tour of India. ( 3 November 2003 )

The palace is open to visitors year-round, and has become a top destination for govt leaders, royals, and Hollywood and Bollywood stars alike. In 2007, British actress Elizabeth Hurley married Indian businessman Arun Nayar beneath the white marble canopy, on the palace lawn. The 347-room palace, considered one of the world's fanciest residences, was used as the primary location for "Viceroy House," a film by director Gurinder Chadha being released Friday in India.

Not to mention his love for flying which brought Jodhpur, it’s first aerodrome. His passion, was flying, and due to his pioneering zeal Jodhpur became one of the most important centers of aviation in India in his time.  

Even before Delhi airport was announced as International airport, Jodhpur airport had become International only by the efforts of the then king.

Maharaja Umaid Singh (1918-1947), the thirty-seventh Jodhpur ruler is often remembered for his passion for flying. 

Legend has it that he could, and would, descend from the skies unannounced and unheralded to inspect and supervise his kingdom.

An avid flyer who was bestowed the title of air vice-marshal, it was Singh’s relentless efforts that made JFC Air Force Station the gateway to Far East by 1938, with three international airlines - Air France, KLM and Imperial Airways - frequenting the desert capital regularly.

The aviation history was made possible by Maharaja Umaid Singh who was keen to put Jodhpur on the global flying map.

“He first built a landing strip here in 1924 and then formed the JFC with Geoffrey Goodwin of Johannesburg, South Africa, who became the first instructor at the flying club. 

Maharaja Umaid Singh with his Percival Gull VT- Outside the Hangar of the Jodhpur Flying Club

From the Album ‘Soubernir – Glimpses of Jodhpur’

c. 1931–47, Sarony Studios, New Delhi

© Mehrangarh Museum Trust

Here, the Jodhpur Maharaja is pictured with the Percival Gull VT-AGV - a monoplane specially modified to His Highness’ order. Powered by a two-hundred-horsepower Gipsy 6 engine, it was equipped with the latest blind-flying instrumentation. The normally enclosed cabin was replaced with twin open cockpits fitted with a pair of racy windscreens for Maharaja Umaid Singh.

The first two aircraft to be purchased were T-ABX and VT-ABY (bought from Delhi Flying Club for Rs 10,896 each),” he said.

JFC was the first institution to induct the Tiger Moth aircraft in 1932, the year the IAF was established. This vintage aircraft has been fully restored by an aircraft restoration company in UK and was showcased at IAF’s ‘Iron Fist-2013’ exhibition at Pokhran. 

Made with as many off-the-shelf instruments & parts as possible, the Stinson L-5 Sentinel aircraft was meant to be easily fixable on the battlefield. This example, once owned by Maharaja Umaid Singh, is on view in Museum of ine arts, Houston.

The De Havilland DH82 Tiger Moth is a two-seat, single-bay biplane powered by a 145hp Gypsy Major four-cylinder inverted air-cooled engine. It was the primary trainer for the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the World War II, and continued in the service of IAF from 1940. It was later replaced as a trainer by the HT-2.

 

Though, the JFC started humbly with two Tiger Moths, it progressed rapidly by 1938 and was at the forefront of civil aviation in India.

Maharaja Umaid Singh, who had a Level A flying licence, became a shareholder in India's first airways. During the Battle of Britain, he was in command at the Jodhpur base, which, as the focus moved to Burma and the Far East, came into prominence.

RIAF personnel deployed at Jodhpur airbase during WW2, with Maharaja Umaid Singh and MaharajKumar Hanwant Singh at Umaid Bhavan.

In 1941, the Jodhpur facility became the ‘No 2 Elementary Flying Training School’ (EFTS). The RAF arrived a year later and the US Army and Air Force soon after.

“By 1938, there were 23 airfields throughout the state which became a part of the MahaRaja Umaid Singh legend, who would ‘descend from the skies unannounced and unheralded’ to inspect and supervise them,” 

While Air Vice-Marshal H H Maharaja Umaid Singh died tragically in June 1947, his pioneering effort in aviation saw Jodhpur become one of the most strategic and largest airbases in Southeast Asia. 

From being a base of Tiger Moth to advanced Rafale and supersonic fighter aircraft Sukhoi, the Air Force station today celebrates the vision, commitment and dedication of its men through the years in the tradition set by Maharaja Umaid Singh in Indian aviation.