Colonel Bhawani Singh (born 17 January 1958 in Udaipur, Rajasthan, India) is a former officer of the Indian Army and a former commandant of both the President's Bodyguard[1] and the 61st Cavalry[2]. He is also a former polo player, coach and administrator. After retiring from active service, he continues to promote equestrian sports and serves as President of the Mayo College Old Boys' Society[3] and as Chairman of the Mayo College Committee.[4]
Singh grew up in a lineage steeped in military tradition and aristocratic heritage. His father, Major Durga Das Nathawat of Doongri (8th Light Cavalry), married Baisa Shankar Kumari Bedla of the Bedla thikana, joining two prominent old Rajput families in marriage.[5] He was the third generation of his family to attend Mayo College in Ajmer.[6] After completing his schooling, he joined the National Defence Academy (Khadakvasla) and then the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun to pursue a career in the Indian Army.
Military career
Singh joined the cavalry branch of the Indian Army. His service saw him posted in various armoured regiments, eventually rising to command the President's Bodyguard. During the swearing‑in ceremony of President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam in July 2002, the presidential entourage was led by Singh and the mounted Presidential Bodyguard.[7] Prior to his tenure with the Bodyguard, he took command of the 61st Cavalry, the Indian Army's sole horse‑mounted regiment.[8][9] A 2020 article discussing the legacy of the 61st Cavalry lists him among former commandants who have excelled at polo.[10] During his military career he also served as secretary of the Indian Polo Association[11] and contributed to the equestrian training of cadets at military academies.
Singh, then serving as Second-in-Command of the President’s Bodyguard, mounted on parade during the Changing of the Guard ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi (1995).
As a staff officer, he served with three Presidents of India - Shankar Dayal Sharma, K. R. Narayanan and A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. His assignments at Rashtrapati Bhavan included arranging state ceremonies and liaising with heads of state and international dignitaries.[12]
Polo career
Singh is regarded as one of India's most accomplished polo players.[13][11]. His handicap peaked at +6 goals[14], placing him among India's elite players. Contemporary reports from the 2002 Maharaja Scindia Gold Cup Polo Tournament note that he played for the Army Red team with a +5 handicap and scored goals for his team.[15] His career includes captaining the Indian team on multiple international outings and touring internationally with the late Maharaja Brigadier Sawai Bhawani Singh of Jaipur, and representing India at the World Cup Polo.[16]
Colonel Bhawani Singh (fifth from left, in black) with fellow polo players, alongside Prince Charles and Princess Diana, during a polo match event in India.
Singh has played at clubs in over 40 countries, including the Palm Beach Polo & Country Club (USA), Guards Polo Club (England), Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club (USA) and St. Moritz (Switzerland). He has been instrumental in promoting corporate-sponsored polo teams[17] in India and abroad and previously served as an Ambassador to the Federation of International Polo.
Public roles
Singh has played an active role in Mayo College's alumni network. The Mayo College Old Boys' Society lists him as its President.[3] He also sits on the Board of Governors and the General Council of Mayo College, Ajmer, where he advocates for the institution's heritage and development.[18] Beyond Mayo College, he has worked to preserve India's equestrian traditions and remains a vocal supporter of maintaining the 61st Cavalry as a horse‑mounted unit.[10]
Personal life
In 1983, Singh married Shivina Kumari. They have two children.
Devisha Kumari Singh Doongri[26][27] an influencer and a prominent socialite[28]. She served as Maid of Honour to Lady Violet Manners at her wedding in June 2025[29][30][31].
They continue to live in Jaipur, Rajasthan.
Heritage and family legacy
Singh initially followed his father to the 8th Light Cavalry. During the 1962 Sino-Indian conflict, the regiment executed a historic move by driving its AMX‑13 tanks to an altitude of 14,000 feet at Nathu La Pass, then a record for tank deployment.[32] This heroic feat is credited to his father Major Durga Das of Doongri, underscoring the family's pioneering role in Indian armoured warfare.[33] Major Durga Das was also an ardent devotee of the Bengali saint Sitaramdas Omkarnath, whom he hosted at the family residence Ram Kutir during the saint’s visits to Rajasthan[34].
Both of his grandfathers were also in military service. On the paternal side, Col. Thakur Devi Singh of Doongri (13th Thakur Saheb of Doongri), served as a career officer in the Jaipur State Forces[35]. On his maternal side, Maj. Gen. Rao Manohar Singh M.B.E. was the 16th Rao Saheb of Bedla and a state era officer who went on to become Home Minister of the Udaipur Council and Aide‑de‑Camp to the Maharana of Udaipur.[5]
He is descended from Thakur Chood Singh Nathawat of Doongri, who fell with his two sons at the Battle of Khatu Shyamji (1779), remembered as one of the "Thirty Decisive Battles of Jaipur"[36]. Doongri was established by Ram Sahai ji[37], the second son of Natha ji, who himself was the grandson of Raja Prithvi Raj I of Amber[38][39].
↑ Hooja, Rima (2006). A History of Rajasthan. Rupa and company. p.694. ISBN9788129115010. Battle of Khatu–Shyamji. This last occurred when Murtaza Khan Bhadech was sent into Shekhawati to collect revenue arrears. His subsequent march towards Jaipur was blocked at Khatu-Shyamji, where the Thakur Chood Singh Nathawat of Doongri and his two sons gave up their lives in the battle.
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