Diya Kumari is an Indian politician, socialite, and a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party who was elected as the MP from Rajsamand in 2019. She is the granddaughter of Man Singh II, the last ruling Maharaja of the princely state of Jaipur during the British Raj in India.
Diya Kumari Bio
Diya Kumari was born on Saturday, 30 January 1971 (age 52 years; as of 2023) in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. Her zodiac sign is Aquarius.
She did her schooling at Modern School in New Delhi, G.D Somani Memorial School in Mumbai, and Maharani Gayatri Devi Girls’ Public School in Jaipur. Later, she pursued a Fine Arts Decorative Painting Diploma from Parsons Art and Design School, London (1989).
Physical Stats
| Height | 5′ 5″ |
| Eyes Colour | Dark Brown |
| Hair Colour | Black |
Family
Diya Kumari belongs to the royal Kachhwaha Rajput clan. Diya Kumari’s father, Bhawani Singh, was an entrepreneur and an officer in the Indian Army. Bhawani Singh ascended the throne of Jaipur in 1970 following the death of his father and held the title of Maharaja until the abolition of the princely order by Indira Gandhi in 1971.
Bhawani Singh earned distinction in the Indo-Pakistan war of 1971 as a Lieutenant colonel and Commanding Officer of the Para Commandos of the 10th Parachute Regiment. Eventually, he left the army to concentrate on his duties towards the erstwhile State of Jaipur.
He died in 2011 due to multi-organ failure. Her mother, Padmini Devi, was the Princess of Sirmur (in Himachal Pradesh), a princely state of British India. Diya Kumari is the only child of her parents.
On 6 August 1997, Diya Kumari publicly got married to a commoner, Narendra Singh Rajawat, who is a chartered accountant and also runs a construction business. Together, they have had 3 children. Her eldest son, Padmanabh Singh, is the titular Maharajah of Jaipur and an established polo player.
After being married for 21 years, Diya Kumari and Narendra Singh filed for divorce in December 2018 under Section 13B (divorce by mutual consent) of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955. Diya Kumari follows Hinduism.
Address
Diya Kumari resides in the City Palace, Jaipur.
Carrier
As the Princess of Jaipur, Diya Kumari manages several properties, businesses, trusts and schools of the royal family, including City Palace, Jaipur, Jaigarh Fort, Amber, and two trusts Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum Trust and the Jaigarh Public Charitable Trust.
In addition to overseeing the daily functioning of the royal family’s trusts, she also manages two schools in Jaipur, The Palace School and Maharaja Sawai Bhawani Singh School, and three hotels, Rajmahal Palace and Hotel Lal Mahal Palace in Jaipur and Hotel Jaipur House in Mount Abu.
She is also an entrepreneur who manages Durga Diya enterprises and the Palace Cafe, and she also looks into the management of the Ashok Club, one of the most exclusive clubs of the country. She is a patron of Royal Fables, a heritage platform that showcases the craft, culture, and cuisine of Princely India. A prominent socialite of Jaipur, Diya Kumari is the most sought-after woman for social gatherings and inaugurations in the state.
Following in the footsteps of her late grandmother Gayatri Devi, Kumari ventured into politics on 10 September 2013 when she joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). She joined the party before a crowd of two-lakh people, in the presence of then Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, BJP president, Rajnath Singh, and Vasundhara Raje, at a rally in Jaipur. She was elected as an MLA of Rajasthan from the Sawai Madhopur constituency in 2013. In 2019, she was elected as an MP from Rajsamand.
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Controversies
- Death Threats from Rajput Community Upon Marriage
- Claiming to be Lord Rama’s Descendant
- Demanding the Ownership of the Taj Mahal
Assets and Net Worth
- Cash: Rs 92,740
- Deposits in Banks: Rs 2,36,11,943
- Bonds, Debentures and Shares in companies: Rs 12,49,56,519.20
- LIC or other insurance Policies: Rs 1,08,35,000
- Jewellery: Rs 64,88,421
Her net worth was Rs 16,59,84,623 in 2019. It excludes the net worth of her spouse and dependents.
Favourites
- Food: Pasta, Chocolates, Laal maas
- Music Genre: Sufi
- Sport: Badminton
- Travel Destination(s): New York, London, Canada
- Actor: Irrfan Khan
Facts
- In 2014, she was appointed as Rajasthan State Government’s Ambassador for the “Save the Girl Child” campaign.
- In January 2017, Diya Kumari received an honorary doctorate from Amity University, Jaipur, for her active philanthropy and leading role in heritage management.
- In August 2019, she was appointed as a member of the government’s National Tiger Conservation Authority.
- Vasundhara Raje Scindia inspired Diya Kumari to join the BJP.
- Keeping her contribution to the tourism and hospitality sector in mind, Diya Kumari was appointed as the Chairperson of Assocham’s Rajasthan Unit. The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) is a non-governmental organisation and advocacy group that represents the interests of trade and commerce in India. In 2012, she actively worked towards inspiring farmers to take up organic farming.
- Diya also contributes a column to a prominent Hindi daily of Jaipur in which she writes about her life and how she was groomed as an ordinary child by her father.
- She has instituted the Young Achiever in Education award in her name to encourage the youth to excel in the field of academics. This award is given during the annual award ceremony organized now in memory of her father Late Maharaja Sawai Bhawani Singh of Jaipur.
- She was awarded the YFLO Women Achievers Award in Politics by the Young FICCI Ladies Organization (YFLO), New Delhi.
- In an interview, she revealed that she had a sweet tooth and loved chocolates.
- She is non-vegetarian