The Triumphant Relaunch of The Friends of Mewar

Shri Ram.

Happy Dussehra! Today, as India and the world celebrate the victory of good over evil on the final day of Navratri, we too mark a new beginning - the triumphant relaunch of The Friends of Mewar with our brand new website, thefriendsofmewar.org.

This year has tested us in ways we never imagined. On March 16th, 2025, we mourned the loss of Shriji Arvind Singh Mewar Ji, the former custodian of the House of Mewar and father of our founder, Padmaja Kumari Parmar. A visionary leader and guiding light, he inspired Padmaja to establish Friends of Mewar as an extension of the values he upheld in pursuit of making a positive impact that aligned with causes she was passionate about, of providing preventive healthcare, promoting women’s empowerment and education, and preserving cultural heritage.

Grief has been our quiet companion this year, even as we celebrated milestones such as Padmaja’s contributions at the Global NCD Alliance Forum in Kigali, the World Health Summit in New Delhi, and the largest-ever annual Udaipur Type 1 Diabetes Summit yet. Each moment of progress carried both pride and the weight of loss.

And then, this past summer, another challenge shook us deeply. Our domains and emails were compromised, and our digital presence vanished. Years of content, data, and access disappeared with it. That night, Padmaja and our small but resourceful US-based team worked tirelessly into the early morning hours, salvaging what we could. We knew that our only path forward was to rebuild stronger, brighter, and more resilient than before.

Today, with immense joy, we announce the relaunch of Friends of Mewar at thefriendsofmewar.org.

This name, Friends of Mewar, carries special significance as it was conceptualized from conversations Padmaja once shared with her father. It represents not just a nonprofit, but a thriving community of philanthropic friends united by compassion, perseverance, and the 1500-year-old legacy of the House of Mewar.

In fact, our nonprofit was incorporated on January 25th, 2013, as the Friends of Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation, though it is known more simply as Friends of Mewar. It was founded to carry forward the same spirit of service and stewardship that has defined the House of Mewar since 734 AD as the world’s longest unbroken custodianship. The foundation Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation was established on October 20th, 1969, by Maharana Bhagwat Singh Mewar, Padmaja’s grandfather, on the timeless principle of trusteeship, the belief that power and resources are not possessions, but responsibilities held in trust for the welfare of all.

Today, The Friends of Mewar is a nonprofit where people from every walk of life can share the duty of preserving heritage, uplifting women, educating children, and advancing preventive health. It is not only a continuation of a family legacy, but also an invitation to join hands across borders, cultures, and generations in the enduring work of creating a better world.

On this auspicious day of Dussehra, a festival of renewal, courage, and victory, we are reminded that light always returns after darkness.

If you got this far, thank you so much for reading. You can be a vital part of Friends of Mewar’s journey. Whether by making a donation that directly fuels our projects, following and engaging with us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and our brand new Instagram & YouTube profiles to stay connected, or simply sharing our story with your own network of friends, every action helps amplify our mission.

We are still in the process of adding older media, archives, and stories from over the years to this new website, a task as meaningful as it is monumental. Rebuilding such a rich history takes time, and we truly appreciate your patience as we continue this journey of restoring and strengthening our digital presence. As we rebuild stronger and better than ever, please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions or if there’s something specific you’re looking for.

Thank you for being a friend of Mewar and standing with us, and for believing in our mission to transform lives with hope, heritage, and humanity. Together, we will continue to rise.