HRH Group of Hotels, Udaipur and Le Passage Tourism Promotion
Shriji Arvind Singh Mewar of Udaipur was invited as a special Guest of Honour at a Road Show organized in Munich by M/s Le Passage to India and M/s HRH Group of Hotels, Udaipur to promote tourism in India on the 7th May. The dazzling event was co-hosted by Ms. Padmaja Kumari Mewar of Udaipur, Joint Managing Director, HRH Group of Hotels and Mr. Arjun Sharma, Managing Director, Le Passage to India.
Leading decision makers from the travel and hospitality industry in Europe were inivited from far and wide to be in Munich for a reception and private viewing of the exhibition, Maharaja 'The splendour of the royal courts of India'.
In her presentation to the audience, Ms. Padmaja Kumari Mewar of Udaipur told them how delighted she was to be back in Munich that is one of her favourite cities in the world. She hoped the evening would provide guests with the opportunity to look at some of the wonders of India's rich heritage that would also attract people to visit Rajasthan; one of the most popular travel destinations in India drawing a third of all visitors to India.
Mr. Arjun Sharma said that HRH Group of Hotels was synonymous with Rajasthan's rich and diverse heritage. He reminded the audience that 1,00,000 visitors are now coming to India - many from Germany.
Shriji Arvind Singh Mewar of Udaipur thanked Dr. Christianne Lange, Director of the Kunsthalle Hypo Kulturstiftung and HRH Group of Hotel's Co-hosts Le Passage to India for their support and patronage for the evening. Shriji told the captivated audience that the German and Indian Governments had recently announced a joint cultural exchange programme that will take place from 2011 to 2013. 31 million Euros will be invested by the German Government in 2011-2012 into a year of festivities to showcase the wealth and diversity of Germanys past and contemporary culture as well as its industrial prowess. In 2012 - 2013 The Indian Government will reciprocate with an India Festival in Germany. Shriji said he felt sure that everyone at the reception would agree that this initiative validates the affection between the two nations and that this programme will provide many opportunities for private partnerships to be forged to optimize the initiative. Eternal Mewar will respond by planning a series of projects through its Trusts.
The City Palace Museum, Udaipur has been the major lender of fine art and rare objects in the exhibition that ran with resounding success at the V & A in London in 2009. It showcased the rich and diverse wealth of India's heritage and has been the first exhibition to comprehensively explore the world of the Maharajas and their extraordinarily rich culture, bringing together over 250 magnificent objects from India's royal collections, many seen in Europe for the first time. The exhibition included three thrones, a silver gilt howdah, gem-encrusted weapons, court paintings, photographs, Indian turban jewels and jewellery commissioned from Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels in the 20th century. It covered the period from the 18th century when the great era of the Maharajas began to the end of British rule in 1947. It showed the changing role of the Maharajas in an historical and social context and looked at how their patronage of the arts both in India and Europe resulted in splendid and beautiful commissions designed to enhance royal status and identity.
The Exhibition that opened in February 2010 at the Kunsthalle Hypo Kulturstiftung Museum, Munich has attracted a record number of some 130,000 visitors.
Joining delegates from the tourist industry in Munich for the reception were Ms. Cordula von Keller; Dott. Monica Viviana who had travelled from Verona, Mr. Felix Adelmann, Mr. Ralph and Mrs. Sabina Nagel, Mr Hazo Fritz, Dr. Wolf Fritz, Mrs. Heide Marie Fritz and Mr. Konstantin Fritz.
Shriji was joined in Munich by Mr. Yashwant Sinh Jadeja, General Manager from HRH Group of Hotels, Sales Office - USA and Ms. Sabina Bailey from London office.