Heritage Heir

Jaipur is a city of high aesthetics. To wander its alleys, to visit its hotels, to climb its forts, to loiter in its markets is to see a city which takes pride in its appearance. It is a city of symmetry and colour, of ornamentation and grandeur. In the recent past, it has also become a modern cultural hub. It no longer rests only on erstwhile laurels (think Kolkata), instead it is creating its own contemporary idiom, which unites past with present, tradition with functionality. Twenty-six-year-old Sawai Padmanabh Singh, head of the Jaipur royal family, is spearheading this movement. Called Pacho by near and dear, he was crowned the ‘Maharaja of Jaipur’ at age 12. In India, heritage is confined to hoary monuments and imposing landmarks. It is a dwelling of ghosts and not a hub for the living. But Singh has systematically overturned those premises, by showing how heritage can burst alive and how it can be enjoyed by the many.

In 2024, Singh launched the first edition of the Jaigarh Heritage Festival in association with Teamwork Arts, which he calls his “most emotionally significant project”. Last year Singh came together with contemporary arts specialist Noelle Kadar to launch the Jaipur Centre for Art (JCA). Their vision is to “include Jaipur in the global discourse around contemporary art practices while cementing the Pink City’s place as an important destination on the art scene.” Singh is also behind the uber cool restaurant The Sarvato, which pays homage to royal and everyday kitchens of Rajasthan. Both JCA and The Sarvato are located within the City Palace. And both are prime examples of how a palace can be both democratic and exclusive.

Singh’s most recent project, which opened its doors only a few days ago, is the restoration of Sabha Niwas, the iconic durbar hall at the heart of the City Palace. When Singh invites a gallery or restaurant into City Palace, he is welcoming them home. He says that some of his fondest memories are of exploring City Palace once the tourists had left and the sun was setting. In the silence and emptiness he saw the Palace anew.  He says, “These formative moments allowed me to see the space from a different lens, beyond its grandeur and history. In that stillness, the details begin to stand out—a faded mural, the way light hits a column, the silence of rooms that are usually filled with activity. It allowed me to see the Palace not just as a heritage site, but a complex filled with stories waiting to be discovered.” He adds, “This intimate perspective became a catalyst in shaping my approach: I wanted more people, especially younger audiences, to be able to engage with the space in ways that are interactive, personal and meaningful. The goal eventually melted down to just keeping the spirit of the Palace alive.”

JCA and The Sarvato bring a cutting-edge quality to the Palace. To visit them is to see both the best of the old and the new. How often can one see a wall filled with photographs by Dayanita Singh after stepping into a frescoed palace? How often can one eat the finest food while gazing at a palace silvered by moonlight? Singh says, “I’ve always said, the City Palace is a complex complex. It’s the kind of place where multiple things coexist—living history and contemporary energy, the ceremonial and the everyday, the personal and the public. That coexistence is what inspired both The Sarvato and the Jaipur Centre for Art.”

If Singh is about innovation, he is also about preservation. The Sabha Niwas holds special significance for him as it was here that his Raj Tilak ceremony took place and where his durbar occurred at 18. Singh says the restoration of Sabha Niwas was a particularly significant project as the challenge was to return it to its original form. This involved plumbing both the archives and memories. Photographs were studied and insights were garnered from those who had witnessed its evolution over decades. Singh says, “Balancing preservation with contemporary relevance was not just a challenge, but an exciting opportunity to connect history with the present.” He adds, “The goal was never to freeze it in time but to restore it in a way that allows it to continue serving its role—as a place of assembly, ceremony, and conversation. Ultimately, the restoration breathes new life into a space that has always been part of the ongoing story of the City Palace, ensuring it remains a living, evolving part of how we engage with our shared history.”

Italy, and especially Rome, has influenced many of Singh’s ideas on preservation. While studying Cultural Heritage Management, Art History and Italian at Università e Nobil Collegio Sant’Eligio in Rome, he saw firsthand how the city preserved its monuments, and this “shifted” how he thinks about heritage. He says, “What struck me was how seamlessly the past coexists with the present. Heritage isn’t tucked away; it’s lived with. You see people interacting with these spaces every day, not just as tourists, but as citizens engaging with their own history.”

For him heritage is meaningful not if it is fossilised but if it is living and evolving. Heritage needs to be seen in continuity rather than as a relic. The Roman heritage sites that especially appealed to him were the Spanish Steps and the Pantheon, as they are imposing yet functional. He adds, “These monuments, like many others, inspire me not because they are colossal, but because they stand as testaments to the passage of time, effortlessly balancing beauty and purpose.”

From a young age he has been cast into the spotlight. He does not shy away from it as he feels he can put this attention to good use. With little private time at his disposal, he enjoys the free spells he gets. Beyond heritage, Singh has other deep interests as well. He becomes especially animated when speaking about polo, which to him is “not a game, but a passion”. He credits the sport with moulding his personality, as it makes demands on body and mind. He enjoys the “athleticism, strategy, and discipline” that it demands, and the bond that is built with both the horse and teammates. Polo is also a game which links back to his past and ancestors, and by playing it he emboldens himself and honours his forefathers.

In all that he does, Singh serves as a conduit between past and present. But he is not only a link, he is also an innovator, with a vision for the future. As he says about his various projects at the Palace, “They are all about participation. They are about opening the Palace up—literally and metaphorically—to new ways of seeing, tasting, and connecting. They are about making heritage feel alive and inviting others into that process.”

Indian royaltyJaipurMaharaja Sawai Padmanabh SinghYouth 2025