Crowned Maharaja of Jaipur at just 14, Sawai Padmanabh Singh has spent the last decade redefining what it means to be a modern royal. Whether representing Jaipur’s rich legacy, competing in polo tournaments, or making headlines for his style, he has worn many hats. Yet, Padmanabh says his strongest identity has always been his own, something he credits his parents for nurturing from a young age.
On embracing his identity
From the classrooms of Mayo College in Ajmer and Millfield School in the UK to the royal seat of Jaipur, Padmanabh Singh’s life took an extraordinary turn at just 14, when he was anointed Maharaja after the passing of his grandfather, His Highness Brigadier Maharaja Bhawani Singh Bahadur, in 2011.
Today, Padmanabh Singh leads his own polo team in Jaipur and, at just 18, became the youngest player to represent India at the Polo World Cup. Beyond the sport, he has also emerged as the modern face of Jaipur royalty, earning a global reputation for his sense of style.
“Well, through all this, I have always had a strong sense of my own personal identity. That’s the only identity that I’ve ever felt close to since I was young. I have been raised as a very humble man. Our parents never made a fuss about us. We did just the same things that everybody else did,” Padmanabh Singh tells us.
He continues, “So, it was all about developing yourselves as humble, respectful people who have learnt the value of things in life. We were brought up with a lot of love and with a lot of affection. We were taught to respect others, as you only get as much respect and love as you give. All these are the strong values with which our family raised us.”
Talking about his love for Jaipur, the 27-year-old, who is affectionately known as ‘Pacho’, shares, “I feel extremely connected to Jaipur. I feel extremely rooted in Jaipur. I have dedicated my life to talking about the beautiful things that our city stands for.”
“Polo being absolutely one of them. But there are so many other things that I’m so proud to have in our city. I spend a lot of my own time talking about these things, trying to find ways to connect the whole world to our culture, and our traditions over here in Jaipur. That really does make me feel complete and make me feel like this is the place where I belong, and that really is my identity.”
On his polo passion
A professional polo player, Padmanabh Singh presently leads the Jaipur Polo Team. Right now, he is on a mission to give the sport a modern identity while preserving its heritage. “Jaipur has always played a huge role in polo. So, I feel responsible for promoting Jaipur as a destination. I feel responsible for preserving the sport of polo,” he says.
He continues, “I have a full-time job and a lot of responsibilities. I have a broken back. So, it’s a constant struggle, and there are a lot of challenges. But like with anything in life and like with any sport in particular, sports teaches you to take everything on… The heart, the courage, the strength, and the spirit that this sport teaches you, I apply them in my life.”
Right now, he thinks there’s still this misconception that polo is just for elite people, and he wants to change that.
“Tell me how many people who follow Formula One are actually Formula One drivers, or for that matter, how many people who follow Formula One have ever seen a Formula One car in their real lives. Not many… Similarly, to love polo, you don’t always have to be a player or a rider to. I think if it’s presented and packaged properly on the right TV streaming platforms, with the right kind of explanations, it can really take off. It can have a huge amount of following given how unique and rare this sport is,” he explains.
According to Padmanabh Singh, we haven’t been able to package the sport properly yet. “As soon as we’re able to do that, this whole stigma around the sport that it’s only for a group of elite people or privileged people will disappear,” he asserts.
