Vikram Singh Puar: Taking the Dewas legacy forward

After Late Maharaja Tukoji Rao Puar, the town of Dewas has a new beloved leader to follow. The person is no other than Vikram Singh Puar, son of 9th Maharaja of Dewas Senior, His Highness Maharaja Tukoji Rao IV Puar and Maharani Gayatri Raje Puar.

The 10th descendant of Maratha Rajput Puar dynasty of Dewas State (Senior), Vikram Singh Rao Puar was born on May 3, 1989 in Dewas, Madhya Pradesh. He completed his schooling from one of the most prestigious schools of India – The Daly College, Indore. For his higher studies, Vikram Singh Puar moved to London. He studied at the London School of Economics and Social Sciences and earned his Master’s Degree in Political Science.

In terms of popularity among the masses, Vikram Singh Puar is no less than his father, Maharaja Tukoji Rao IV Puar, who was the sixth Maharaja of the Puar Dynasty of Dewas Senior. He was the ninth descendant of Raja Tukoji Rao I Puar, the founder of Dewas Senior state.

A popular and unassuming leader of the masses, Maharaja Tukoji Rao Puar was elected a Member of the Legislative Assembly six times during his lifetime. Following the family tradition, Srimant Tukoji Rao Puar had always been dedicated towards the welfare of the janta of Dewas. The small town of Dewas witnessed great progress during his lifetime.

Maharaja Srimant Tukoji Rao Puar administered several development projects like construction of the Shipra Dam Project, and Dewas Bypass road. The ropeway to Maa Chamunda Devi Temple and Maa Tulja Bhawani Temple was also started under the patronage of Maharaja Srimant Tukoji Rao Puar, which has boosted the tourism in Tekri region.

After brain hemorrhage, Maharaja Tukoji Rao Puar was admitted to Apollo Hospital, Indore, on June 15, 2015. He breathed his last on June 19, 2015 in the same hospital. The sudden demise of the beloved Maharaja was greatly mourned by the people of Dewas.

Vikram Singh Rao Puar is carrying forward the legacy of his late father and mother Rajmata Gayatri Raje Puar. He is also connected with the locals at a grass root level. He is a down to earth man, and is often seen with the people of Dewas, addressing their grievances. He takes keen interest newly sanctioned projects for the development of Dewas as well as the projects that were completed under the aegis of his father.

The Dewas scion has been quite vocal about social issues like women empowerment and female infanticide, as well as environmental concerns like water pollution and organic farming. Recently, he showed active participation in the ‘Rally for Rivers’ movement.