Garhwal Post Bureau
London, 16 Jul: Parliamentarians, diplomats and members of the British Indian community gathered at the House of Lords to celebrate a lifetime of public service, cultural stewardship and enduring friendship between India and the United Kingdom.
Lord Bilimoria, together with the India All-Party Parliamentary Group and with the support of the 1928 Institute, hosted a celebration of the life and achievements of ‘His Highness’ Gaj Singh II of Marwar-Jodhpur—affectionately known as “Bapji”— accompanied by ‘Her Highness’ Hemlata Rajye, the Maharani of Jodhpur, at the House of Lords on 13 July.
The event brought together guests from Parliament, diplomacy, business, culture and the British Indian community to honour a remarkable man whose life has been shaped by service: to the people of Jodhpur, to India’s extraordinary cultural inheritance and to the relationship between India and the United Kingdom.
Born in 1948, Gaj Singh II succeeded his father as head of the House of Marwar at just four years of age. Educated at Eton College and the University of Oxford, where he read Philosophy, Politics and Economics, he came of age during a period of profound political and social change in India.
Rather than allowing the traditions he inherited to become relics of the past, Bapji gave them renewed relevance and purpose. As a devoted guardian of Rajasthan’s cultural and architectural heritage, he played a central role in the preservation of the magnificent Mehrangarh Fort and in establishing the Mehrangarh museum as one of India’s foremost cultural institutions. His work has helped safeguard the art, history, crafts and living traditions of the Marwar region for future generations. He opened part of Umaid Bhawan Palace as one of the finest hotels in the world and as the Umaid Bhawan museum, sharing the history of the Jodhpur royal family and the vision behind the palace’s creation. In doing so, he ensured that this remarkable landmark would remain a living part of Marwar’s cultural heritage.
His service has extended far beyond Jodhpur. Bapji represented India with distinction as High Commissioner to Trinidad and Tobago, with accreditation across several Caribbean nations, and later served as a member of the Rajya Sabha, the Upper House of the Indian Parliament. Throughout his life, he has balanced the responsibilities of history with the realities of a modern democracy. His has been a life not defined simply by title or inheritance, but by the decision to place both at the service of others. Lord Bilimoria said: “Bapji’s life reminds us that true leadership is not only about inheritance, but about service. He has carried the weight of history with grace, humility and humanity, transforming a remarkable legacy into something living, generous and relevant to his people. “He has been an outstanding guardian of India’s heritage, a distinguished public servant and a steadfast friend of the United Kingdom. The warmth and affection in the room reflected the enormous respect in which he is held across generations and across both our countries.”
The celebration also marked the publication of Bapji: The King Who Would Be Man, an intimate account of a sovereign born into grandeur but shaped by the democratic and social transformations of post-independence India.
The book tells the story of a royal figure who did not cling to former power, but instead channelled his inheritance into service, cultural preservation and public purpose. It presents Bapji not only as the custodian of palaces, traditions and institutions, but as a “king of conscience”, a man who reconciled the solemnity of history with the responsibilities of the present.
The evening offered an opportunity not merely to reflect upon a distinguished life, but to celebrate a legacy that continues to inspire: one of duty without distance, tradition without nostalgia, and leadership rooted in humanity.
