India is a diverse country with a rich cultural heritage and a monarchial history. The customary norm of royal ownership was one of the most intriguing aspects of Indian history. Whether it’s the outstanding achievement of Mughal rulers or the gorgeous masterpieces of Hyderabadi Nawabs, India has emerged triumphantly from the reign of her kings and queens. However, immediately after Independence, the kings’ powers were gradually eroded. The proclamation of our country’s Independence marked the culmination of India’s ruler’s reign. When India gained Independence, there were around 565 princely kingdoms, all of which fell within seconds. The advent of modernity has resulted in a consistent decline in India’s prosperous historical era of kings and queens. Even now, the presence of the rulers remains an undiscovered fact for the youth yet to be revealed. Not only that, but the issues they encountered during the new period forced them to face substantial challenges they were unaware of. Indian Royal Families seeks to call your attention to the hidden historical past to touch your soul by openly revealing our fascinating cultural history. We aim to weave a strong relationship with people around us so that we can enlighten the current generation with our rich source of history. So, today’s information is about the king of one of the oldest royal estates, the Kutlehar Estate, which is tucked in the foothills of the serene Himachal Valley.

 

Kutlehar, located in Himachal Pradesh’s Una District, was one of the oldest kingdoms established in the 10th century by Raja Gopal, an ancestral prince. According to the research, Kutlehar was a Rajput province of 750 AD that was conquered in 1825, and Raja Amrat Pal was granted a jagir of Rs 10,000. Raja Jas Pal was one of the most powerful kings of the Kutlehar kingdom since the kingdom had amassed the most riches during his reign. He was recognized as the lord of all territories between the rivers Satluj and Beas and elevated the domain to new heights. During the Mughal attack on the sacred shrine home of Anandpur Sahib, Guru Gobind Singh Ji bestowed the then rulers of the Kutlehar kingdom with a sword as a token of gratitude. The influential Rajput province of Kutlehar was granted the 16 Tapas (Tikas) known as the Kutlehar forests and a large amount of land, a portion of which was later seized by the government vide notification in 1992.The construction of the Bhakra dam in Himachal Pradesh lot of land was acquired by the Government.Raja Sansar Chand encroached on the Kutlehar territory during the invasions, leaving only sixteen Tapas as Jagirs. Even now, the head of the Kutlehar family is recognized as the king of the Kutlehar region. One well-known and notable feature of the Pal dynasty was that all these Rajas died before the age of 20 or after age 50.

 

Raja Mahendra Pal Ji, born on July 4, 1934, in Hari Kothi, Dharamshala, was the first to be crowned as the sovereign at three. His father, Raja Brijmohan Pal, became ill after a brief illness and died on April 29 in the Royal Orchard in Bihru,he was married to daughter of late H.H.Raja Bhuri Singh’s of Chamba.After his father’s demise, the throne became vacant, and because no one appeared capable of handling the responsibilities satisfactorily, the then-British government recognized his son Raja Mahendra Pal as the thirteenth king of the Kutlehar dynasty when he was only three years old. A three-year-old, small youngster who was meant to be nourished under his mother’s care was now saddled with a profound duty and was guarded by 33 personals as well as other lifestyle trappings such as secretaries, armed guards, chauffeurs, maids, chefs, hairstylists, two automobiles, heads of cattle, and roughly 3208 acres of land, all of which will be maintained from the Kutlehar estate’s earnings. Because he was young and there was no other deserving heir for the throne, his mother acquired the assets along with him and became the Rajmata. On approaching adulthood, he was married to the daughter of Raja Surinder Singh from Baghal named Rani Lalita Kumari in 1955. They had four children: Tikka Budhishwar Pal, Rajkumar Yudhishter Pal, Rajkumaris Deviea Kumari, and Rajeshwari Kumari. Raja Budhishwar Pal is the Eldest son of Raja Mahendra Pal, who was born on July 6, 1956, in New Delhi. He was married to Rani Bhuvaneshwari Pal, the daughter of the Rana Ran Bahadur Singh of Balson State in Himachal. When Raja Budhishwar Pal was just five years old, his father decided to leave Kutlehar and shift to Chandigarh as he wanted his kids to live a simple lifestyle and get admitted to a good school. He was enthralled with his children’s education, but his son Raja Budhishwar was more interested in politics and welfare of the people of Kutlehar  he visited his homeland frequently to relieve people in distress. The dazzling cultural fusion of Punjab and Himachal seemed profoundly ingrained in his psyche, and he was rather proud of such magnificent beauty on the Indian subcontinent. During the Great War, Raja Budhishwar Pal’s grandfather received the General Service medal, the Baluchistan medal, and two victory medals.

 

Following his father’s death, Tikka Budhishwar Pal was consecrated as the regal monarch of the Kutlehar kingdom at the 2014 coronation ceremony in Chandigarh. Many royal families were invited to this grand crowning celebration, including a group of priests who would bless the occasion and enchant the sacred mantras for his prosperous reign. According to ancient tradition, the newly crowned king was obliged to stay indoors for 10 days following the successful completion of the crowning ceremony, so the king stayed indoors, communicating with others via phone for 16 days. At the current National Conference of Kshatriya Mahasabha, the chairman declared that the community would be expanded by establishing Mahasabhas in the districts of Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh, and he was nominated as the president of Himachal by the chairman. Despite maintaining a strong connection between his ancestral past and their values and the emergence of modern youth, Raja Budhishwar Pal enjoys living a life filled with elegance and simplicity.

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Though the renaissance of kingdoms and aristocrats has faded, the Kutlehar estate continues to uphold the old and traditional values set by their forefathers. They are recognized for their artistic, cultural practices and rituals, which can be traced smoothly to the current day. The Eldest son of Raja Budhishwar pal,Tikka Sarveshwar Pal continues to carry on the Tradions and Customs.Furthermore, in terms of religious customs, festivals such as Kuldevi Pooja are often commemorated by the region’s residents. Because Goddess Kuldevi represents fortune and honor, people gather for a sacred rite that includes the deity’s wholehearted veneration, followed by a Himachali feast, ‘Dham.’ Following the pooja, a mid-day meal called ‘Dham’ is prepared to provide people with prashad as a form of divine blessing.

Another well-known Himachali custom practiced from the time of their forefathers is the customary wedding ritual. Raja Budhishwar Singh stated in an interview that while there is no such compulsion, a Royal family’s first wedding preference can easily be seen in their wedding selections. Whether it’s his ancestors, who married in the other States such as Busher,Keonthal,Mandi etc, or himself, who married the daughter of an aristocratic monarch, Rana Ran Bahadur Singh of the Balsan State, it’s apparent that weddings are planned in accordance with another family’s royalty. Even his mother is descended from the affluent Baghal dynasty,which was headed by her Late brother, Raja Rajinder Singh. Life has been fantastic for them; things were quite magnificent all around till the period of Kings ended after Independence. The then-government confiscated all their possessions, destroyed the reign of monarchs, and took away their rights to own property, putting their lives in jeopardy. Today, because the Monarchial authority has been shattered on the grounds, Raja Budhishwar possesses very few assets; the rest have been taken away by the government.

 

As a result, many former monarchs’ lives and the customs and rituals they practiced are ambiguous, keeping us in the dark about our country’s deeply etched, intriguing legacy. But don’t worry, we at Indian Royal Families will continue to educate and enlighten the globe by regularly providing previously unknown facts and anecdotes. We will strive to bring such enticing real-life history to light to discover the buried cultural heritage and historical legacy and as per Records available with the family Raja Budhishwar pal is 381 Raja as per Royal linange in the kutlehar Dynasty.