Udaipur On the auspicious occasion of Sharadiya Navratri, Dr. Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, member of the former royal family of Mewar and Chairman & Managing Trustee of the Maharana Mewar Charitable Foundation, performed the sacred tradition of Ashwa Puja at the City Palace with devotion and reverence.

On the holy day of Navami, the ritual was conducted amid the chanting of Vedic mantras by learned Brahmins. The royal horses—Rajswaroop, Nagaraj, and Ashwaraj—decorated in traditional adornments, were worshipped in accordance with age-old customs. Dr. Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar offered aarti, food, cloth, and symbolic harvest to the horses, reviving the living tradition of Mewar’s Sanatan heritage.

Significance of horses in Sanatan culture

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar emphasized that horses have always held a place of honor in Sanatan culture and scriptures. In the Suryavanshi lineage, horses were considered auspicious symbols of loyalty and valor. He recalled that in battlefields, horses displayed unparalleled devotion and courage, with Maharana Pratap’s legendary steed Chetak continuing to remain immortal in the glorious history of Mewar.

Continuation of ancient traditions

It is noteworthy that during his Gaddi Utsav on April 2, 2025, Dr. Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar had also performed Ashwa Puja at the City Palace, carrying forward the centuries-old ritual of the royal family.

Successive Maharanas of Mewar had special stables, known as Paygas, constructed for royal horses. Among them, the Satanwari Payga, built by Maharana Karan Singh (1620–1628 CE), holds special significance. The term Satanwari denotes a stable with seven and nine compartments. This 17th-century stable, one of the oldest of its kind, still houses the famed Marwari breed of horses for public viewing.

Later, Maharana Bhupal Singh (1930–1955 CE) preserved the Suryavanshi tradition of Mewar even after India’s independence, ensuring that the legacy of royal horse worship remained alive.

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