Preserving the Past Means Making It Relevant for Every Generation

Rattan Keswani in conversation with DR. LAKSHYARAJ SINGH MEWAR

RATTAN KESWANI: Lakshyaraj ji, your family has done more than most to preserve heritage. How do you continue protecting that legacy while keeping it relevant?

LAKSHYARAJ SINGH MEWAR: Royalty is often over-exaggerated. What people call royalty is really the shared heritage of every Indian. Some families preserved it, some did not. Our responsibility is not to prove anything; it is to improve what we have inherited, using the techniques required in the twenty-first century.

The journey of Udaipur over the last four decades has never been the achievement of one individual. I once praised my father for what he had done for the city, and he corrected me immediately. Udaipur has reached where it has because of generations of people connected with travel, trade and tourism who worked together. Never make the mistake of giving the credit to one person.

There was a time when Udaipur was called the Venice of the East. Today, thanks to the efforts of so many people, Venice is sometimes described as the Udaipur of the West.

RATTAN KESWANI: Guests today seek experiences more than ever. What should hospitality deliver?

LAKSHYARAJ SINGH MEWAR: Ours is a humane industry. Even while everyone talks about artificial intelligence, we should never forget human intelligence and human warmth.

We often try to fix things that are not broken. Hospitality should simplify life, not complicate it. Understand why the guest has come—business, leisure or a wedding—and deliver that experience well. Too many hotels are trying too hard. After travelling for hours, the guest does not want a complicated pillow menu. They want a comfortable bed, good food and genuine hospitality. Let us not over-design what is already simple.

RATTAN KESWANI: Heritage hotels often showcase beautiful buildings but fail to tell their stories.

LAKSHYARAJ SINGH MEWAR: Today’s world consumes information differently. History has become mystery for many people because they can absorb only so much. The answer is not to overwhelm visitors but to present history in a way that is relatable.

My father introduced the idea of living heritage, not dead monuments. If someone is interested in Mewar paintings, let them spend time with the artists. Let them meet craftsmen making traditional garments. Let visitors take home something they can touch and feel. Heritage should be experienced, not merely observed.

The objective is not simply to go through life but to grow through life, with the visitor growing alongside us.

RATTAN KESWANI: You also hold multiple Guinness World Records.

LAKSHYARAJ SINGH MEWAR: As children we loved the Guinness Book because it had pictures. We joked that one day our names should appear there. We never imagined it would happen through social service.

Social media, despite all its criticism, became a powerful tool for doing good. We asked a simple question: what does every household have lying unused? Clothes. That became the beginning of one of our campaigns, including the world’s largest sweater donation drive.

Humility matters. Records are not the achievement. Bringing people together for a meaningful cause is.

RATTAN KESWANI: Finally, what can the travel industry do for Udaipur?

LAKSHYARAJ SINGH MEWAR: Honest feedback. Tell us clearly what we are doing well, what we can improve ourselves, and what we should change. Constructive criticism is far more valuable than praise. That, for us, is the greatest gift the industry can give.