Philanthropy

Charitable Dispensary and Medical Aid

Medical Aid is an important activity of the MMCF. MMCF runs a charitable dispensary, which operates all year round. The Staff's yearly medical checkups are also organized by the Foundation. Citizens of the region can apply to it for medical benefits and assistance. It aims to provide free medical advice and medicines to the needy that are unable to pay for medical treatment.

A total number of 291 patients were treated in the month of May 2023 and 256 patients in the month of June 2023.

Financial Assitance

Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation has provided financial assistance in favour of Mr. R. K. Shetty, Udaipur.

Academic Initiatives

Scholars meeting at Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art

Dr. Mayank Gupta, Deputy Secretary, MMCF Development and Dr. Hansmukh Seth, Associate Curator, The City Palace Museum, Udaipur travelled to the USA to participate in the Scholars meeting at Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art. The duo's stay in the USA was from 25th April to 6th May 2023. On 26th April, they met with Dr. Debra Diamond, co-Curator, A Splendid Land - Paintings from Royal Udaipur, and visited the Hirshhorn National Museum of Modern Art which lies in close proximity to the Smithsonian Museum. There they also met with its Deputy Director, Mr. Jaya A. Kaveeshwar; discussed the possibilities of collaboration and explored the Museum and its galleries, in his company.

Further, Dr. Gupta and Dr. Seth visited the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art (NMAA) with Dr. Diamond and were joined by her exhibition co-Curator, Dr. Dipti Khera. The exhibition houses some 30 works of art from The City Palace Museum, Udaipur, as part of the joint collaboration between the two Museums. The duo were provided a guided tour of the exhibition and toured around the South Asian collection galleries. They also had curatorial walks of exhibitions lined up for them- Art of Knowing by Dr. Emma Natalya Stein and Anyang: China's Ancient City of Kings by Mr. Keith Wilson.

The Scholars day meeting commenced from 27th April 2023 at National Museum of Asian Art.

This group of scholars comprised of those who have been working on Udaipur/ Mewar paintings and contributed towards the A Splendid Land - Paintings from Royal Udaipur exhibition catalogue. The session began with an inscription workshop, facilitated by Dr. Dalpat Raj Purohit, Dept. of Asian studies, University of Texas, Austin. He engaged the gathering with a selection, deciphering and translating of 2 inscriptions seen at the back of paintings from Udaipur's City Palace Museum's collection. Subsequently, the participants were provided a curatorial walk of the same exhibition by Dr. Diamond and Dr. Khera, followed by on ground discussions including presentations by scholars on a wide variety of topics pertaining to the said paintings. Ms. Catherine Glynn, Independent Scholar of Indian Paintings, presented her research titled Masters of the Jagged Water's Edge. Dr. Shailka Mishra, Director, Jagdish and Kamla Mittal Museum, Hyderabad presented on the Udaipur court Artist Shivalal and his work. Prof. Cynthia Talbot, University of Texas, Austin presented her work titled Remembering Chittor in the NYPL Scroll. She also highlighted depictions of Jain monks and aspects related to Jainism, depicted in the scroll and other Mewar paintings. The session culminated with a presentation by Dr. Shikha Jain, Director, DRONAH, Gurugram, on Udaipur as an Evolving Cultural Landscape.

The presentations lined up for 28th April 2023 included Giving Voice and Visibility to Women's Pain: Encounters with Two Women in Udaipur Paintings by Prof. Molly Emma Aitkin, City college of New York and Dr. Dalpat Raj Purohit, University of Texas, Austin, during which they elucidated on the depiction of Nayika and her Sakhi in many Udaipur paintings series such as Rasikapriya. It was followed by a presentation on Sur Saagar painting series of Udaipur and other parts of the India, jointly delivered by Prof. Jack Hawley, Colombia University and Dr. Neeraja Poddar, Philadelphia Museum of Art. Their presentation was titled An "Amar Singh" Newcomer and Govardhans Galore in Udaipur's Surdas Archive. Mr. Richard Williams delivered his presentation in the exhibition space. His talk was titled Listening between the lines: Sound and Sense in Poetry and the Paintings. Following this line up of presentations the group visited the National Museum of Archives.

The exhibition A Splendid Land: Paintings From Royal Udaipur at the National Museum of Asian Art was presented the Smithsonian Award for Excellence in Exhibition - 2022 Special Achievement: Interpretation. Dr. Mayank Gupta, Deputy Secretary MMCF and Dr. Hansmukh Seth, Associate Curator, The City Palace Museum, Udaipur were presented this award by its exhibition co-Curator Dr. Debra Diamond.