A national shooting champion, winner of India’s highest sports honour, philanthropist, conservationist and author of three books, Rajyashree Kumari, once a princess of the former princely state of Bikaner, Rajasthan, is hardly your quintessential laid-back royal.
The dynamic septuagenarian, who started shooting at the age of six, went on to compete in the highly competitive sport, which is broadly dominated by men.
By the time she was 15, Kumari, now 70, had emerged as an extraordinary markswoman, achieving 15 national titles and the largest haul of gold medals in the sport in the country. At 17, she notched up 92 out of 100 in the National Trap Shooting Championship, a record that has yet to be beaten. Five years later, at the national championships, she came second in trap shooting, beating all her male rivals save her father, who won gold.
“My shooting days started very early because we were a family of high sports achievers,” Kumari says. “My aunt, the Rajmata of Kota, was an ace shooter. My late father [Dr Karni Singhji], competed at the Olympics in Rome, Tokyo, Mexico and Munich. Such a sporty ecosystem was highly motivating for a young woman like me.
“I found it exhilarating to leave the palace and travel, meet people from different cultures and participate in international competitions representing India and Bikaner’s Thunderbolts Rifle Club.”
Being coached and mentored by her disciplinarian father further polished Kumari’s talent. A brilliant and strict mentor, he trained Kumari for hours a day, come rain or shine. “This rigor prepared me for the most intimidating competitions and helped me be confident against the toughest rivals,” she says.
Be it air guns, heaver rifles or clay pigeon shots, Kumari made her mark, literally, in all disciplines.
“As an egalitarian at heart, I found sport to be a great leveller. Because no matter how highly placed you are, it makes no difference on the sports field. Your competitor could be a king or a carpenter, you have to compete with him with the same rules’’.
Although Kumari doesn’t shoot any more, she says it was a privilege to represent India. “I met some wonderful people from across the country and the world and learnt much from them. The most memorable moment was receiving the Arjuna Award from the president in 1969. All these experiences enriched my life so much,” she says.
After marriage and motherhood, Kumari retired from her busy shooting career to focus on her duties in Bikaner as a social worker and philanthropist. Her strong work ethic helped her shine in this role too.
“My father used to tell us that Maharaja Ganga Singhji [his grandfather] worked very hard. When others would ask him, ‘Dada, why do you work so hard? You are the Maharaja’, his simple riposte was: ‘This is my job, I am just doing my duty.’”
This is the ethos, Kumari adds, that characterised all generations of the Bikaner royal family. “Because of my upbringing, I don’t look upon my work as philanthropy or charity. It is something I’m supposed to do and do it well. it is grassroots oriented, requires people skills and empowers the poor. What’s not to love?”
Running, maintaining and managing her ancestral properties, including several palaces and forts, is all in a day’s work for Kumari. She also leads several charitable trusts created by her late father.
“The Maharajas of Bikaner have historically maintained close ties with citizens and were involved in empowering them at various levels. Once royal titles were abolished in the country, my father set up a slew of trusts to continue to maintain our old forts and palaces and nurture a range of organisations to help people,” she says.
Whenever Kumari gets a break from her busy schedule, she says she loves to read. “Reading has been a childhood passion inculcated at an early age by my English governess Mrs Edwards. I also love decorating my home, Bikaner Palace, and give it a fresh look every now and then. This keeps my creative juices flowing. Gardening is also great therapy and I love adding fresh foliage to my garden.”
The former champion is also mentoring and sponsoring several budding and talented athletes of Bikaner, be it in the form of providing equipment or nutritional counselling.
“We also try to make our familial archives accessible to research scholars keen to study our history. We help provide international funding to optimise their operations and outreach,” she says.
Whenever she gets time from her day-to-day duties, Kumari loves practising her writing skills, a talent she inherited from her father. She has written three books, The Lallgarh Palace Home of the Maharajas of Bikaner (2009), The Maharajas of Bikaner (2012) and her latest, Palace of Clouds (2018). The latter is a semi-biographical account that evokes the romance of the rugged desert kingdom of Bikaner and its Rajput royal legacy against a backdrop of royalty, palaces, forts and hunting lodges.
As one reviewer put it: “The author brings to life a treasure trove of anecdotes and introduces us to a world of elegance, sportsmanship and cosmopolitan culture. A richly woven tapestry encompassing five generations of an aristocratic family's past and present. Tales of valour, battles and coronations, the splendour of the royal courts, the culture and traditions that made this Rathore state pre-eminent in the world.”
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Results
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
PROFILE OF INVYGO
Started: 2018
Founders: Eslam Hussein and Pulkit Ganjoo
Based: Dubai
Sector: Transport
Size: 9 employees
Investment: $1,275,000
Investors: Class 5 Global, Equitrust, Gulf Islamic Investments, Kairos K50 and William Zeqiri
The years Ramadan fell in May
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
'O'
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More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse Of Madness'
Director: Sam Raimi
Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Wong, Xochitl Gomez, Michael Stuhlbarg and Rachel McAdams
Rating: 3/5
ACL Elite (West) - fixtures
Monday, Sept 30
Al Sadd v Esteghlal (8pm)
Persepolis v Pakhtakor (8pm)
Al Wasl v Al Ahli (8pm)
Al Nassr v Al Rayyan (10pm)
Tuesday, Oct 1
Al Hilal v Al Shorta (10pm)
Al Gharafa v Al Ain (10pm)
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Sweet%20Tooth
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THE BIO
Family: I have three siblings, one older brother (age 25) and two younger sisters, 20 and 13
Favourite book: Asking for my favourite book has to be one of the hardest questions. However a current favourite would be Sidewalk by Mitchell Duneier
Favourite place to travel to: Any walkable city. I also love nature and wildlife
What do you love eating or cooking: I’m constantly in the kitchen. Ever since I changed the way I eat I enjoy choosing and creating what goes into my body. However, nothing can top home cooked food from my parents.
Favorite place to go in the UAE: A quiet beach.
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
MORE ON TURKEY'S SYRIA OFFENCE
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
FA CUP FINAL
Manchester City 6
(D Silva 26', Sterling 38', 81', 87', De Bruyne 61', Jesus 68')
Watford 0
Man of the match: Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)
Overview
What: The Arab Women’s Sports Tournament is a biennial multisport event exclusively for Arab women athletes.
When: From Sunday, February 2, to Wednesday, February 12.
Where: At 13 different centres across Sharjah.
Disciplines: Athletics, archery, basketball, fencing, Karate, table tennis, shooting (rifle and pistol), show jumping and volleyball.
Participating countries: Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Qatar and UAE.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
ICC Intercontinental Cup
UAE squad Rohan Mustafa (captain), Chirag Suri, Shaiman Anwar, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Saqlain Haider, Ahmed Raza, Mohammed Naveed, Imran Haider, Qadeer Ahmed, Mohammed Boota, Amir Hayat, Ashfaq Ahmed
Fixtures Nov 29-Dec 2
UAE v Afghanistan, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Hong Kong v Papua New Guinea, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Ireland v Scotland, Dubai International Stadium
Namibia v Netherlands, ICC Academy, Dubai
ADCC AFC Women’s Champions League Group A fixtures
October 3: v Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC
October 6: v Hyundai Steel Red Angels Women’s FC
October 9: v Sabah FA
