Who is Jaipur’s billionaire princess Diya Kumari, who claims Taj Mahal belongs to her ancestors?

New Delhi: The BJP MP from Rajsamand and former princess of Jaipur has sometimes courted controversy by claiming that the Taj Mahal, the iconic monument of love, belongs to her ancestors. He claimed that the Taj Mahal was built on his family’s land and was captured by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan.

Kumari had said in support of her claim that the land on which the iconic monument stands belonged to the erstwhile Jaipur royal family. It used to be a palace that was ‘acquired’ by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan before building his grand monument of love. If this was not enough, the BJP MP and royal scion of Jaipur had earlier also claimed that his family is descended from Lord Ram’s son. Diya Kumari also said that she is ready to give proof of her family lineage of Lord Ram’s son in the Supreme Court so that the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya can be expedited.

So, who is Diya Kumari?

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Diya Kumari is a former princess of the Jaipur royal family and the granddaughter of Maharaja Man Singh II, the last ruler of the princely state of Jaipur in Rajasthan during the British rule in India. She is also the biological mother of Padmanabhan Singh, the current Maharaja of Jaipur. The BJP MP from Rajsamand is a socialite and philanthropist and the founder of Princess Diya Kumari Foundation – an organization for social causes.

Family background of Diya Kumari

Diya Kumari was born in 1971 on 30 January in Jaipur, Rajasthan to Bhavani Singh and Padmini Devi, a distinguished Indian Army officer and hotelier.

Diya Kumari’s Education

Kumari studied at Modern School (New Delhi), GD Somani Memorial School, Mumbai and Maharani Gayatri Devi Girls’ Public School, Jaipur. She then moved to the United Kingdom to pursue a Diploma in Fine Arts Decorative Painting from Parsons Art and Design School in London.

Diya Kumar’s personal life

On August 6, 1997 – a memorable day for the Jaipur royal family – Diya Kumari married a commoner, Narendra Singh Rajawat – a chartered accountant by profession. Diya Kumari has three children after her marriage to Narendra Singh. The marriage ended in divorce in December 2018. His eldest son, Padmanabhan Singh was born on 12 July 1998 and was adopted as his successor by Bhawani Singh as head of the erstwhile royal family on 22 November 2002 and assumed the title of ‘Maharaja’ of Jaipur on 27 April 2011. His other son is Lakshyaraj Singh and his daughter is Gauravi Kumari.

Political career of Diya Kumari

Diya Kumari was inducted into the Bharatiya Janata Party on 10 September 2013 at a rally in Jaipur in front of a huge crowd of over two lakh people in the presence of then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, then BJP President Rajnath Singh and former Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje. She contested in the 2013 Rajasthan Legislative Assembly election as a BJP candidate from Sawai Madhopur and became an MLA. In 2019, she was elected as the Member of Parliament to the Lok Sabha from Rajsamand.

Diya Kumari’s net worth

Although the full net worth of the Jaipur royal family is difficult to estimate, Diya Kumari’s family net worth is believed to be around US$2.8 billion, according to Forbes and several other online sources. His wealth includes several properties, businesses, trusts and schools, including the City Palace, Jaipur, which is also his residence; Jaigarh Fort, Amber Fort and two trusts: Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum Trust, Jaipur and Jaigarh Public Charitable Trust; two schools: The Palace School and Maharaja Sawai Bhawani Singh School; and three hotels: Rajmahal Palace in Jaipur, Hotel Jaipur House in Mount Abu and Hotel Lal Mahal Palace in Jaipur.