Princess Padmaja Kumari Mewar of Udaipur
receiving birthday greetings at The Zenana Mahal

Padmaja Kumari Mewar of Udaipur celebrates her birthday at the Zenana Mahal, City Palace Complex
Princess Padmaja Kumari Mewar of Udaipur celebrated her birthday on 11th January 2008. During the morning, staff from HRH Group of Hotels and the Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation personally wished the Princess a Happy Birthday in her office.
In the evening a surprise party was held at the Zenana Mahal, City Palace Complex. Evoking the Princess’s favourite European destination, Greece, the Princess’s birthday was celebrated by the Mewar royal family, friends and local dignitaries from Udaipur.
The theme of the evening was ‘Dosti Athens’ with the Zenana Mahal reflecting the Greek flag adorned with blue and white flowers. A cake was made by Chef Meenakshi Patel to replicate the Parthenon temple at the Acropolis and Table placings were named after Greek Gods and Goddesses including Zeus and Aphrodite, as well as the Princess’s favourite hero Alexander The Great. The menu included Greek cuisine and a variety of local Indian dishes. Music from the pop star Nitin Bali who soared to stardom with the ultra-romantic ‘ neele neele ambar par’ added a vibrant ambience to the evening.

 
The Birthday cake

Shriji Arvind Singh Mewar of Udaipur addressing the audience at the lecture

A lecture on Indian Temple Architecture at Fateh Prakash Palace, Udaipur
The Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation extended an invitation to Dr. Adam Hardy to address an audience on Indian Temple Architecture at the Durbar Hall, Fateh Prakash Palace on 25th January 2008. During his lecture he explained the concept of movement within architecture. Shriji Arvind Singh Mewar of Udaipur attended the lecture with Dr. Shikha Jain, Director, DRONAH.
Dr. Hardy has devoted a life time's study to the architecture of Indian temples that has been the focus of his doctoral thesis and many subsequent publications. Although much research has been carried out on temple architecture since the late nineteenth century, key questions remain about how temples were patronised and constructed as well as the social place they occupied in medieval Indian society. A team of researchers, led by Dr Adam Hardy have been exploring these problems.
After studying architecture at Cambridge in the UK, Dr. Hardy has worked as an architect as well as holding a number of academic posts. He founded the research group PRASADA (Practice, Research and Advancement in South Asia Design and Architecture. He is currently leading a major research project at the Welsh School of Architecture at Cardiff university funded by the AHRC on the unfinished 11th century temple at Bhojpur. During his visit to Udaipur Dr. Hardy visited Shri Eklingji Temple.

 
Dr. Hardy giving lecture on Indian Temple Architecture