When it comes to pedigree, you cannot possibly get better than this—with his paternal grandmother, Chandresh Kumari, former Union Culture Minister, being the princess of Jodhpur, his paternal grandfather, Aditya Raj Katoch, being the Maharaja of Kangra-Lambagraon, his maternal family hailing from Sailana and his maternal grandmother born the princess of Jaisalmer. Yet, when you meet this tall and lanky lad, the only thing which strikes you is the sheer voracity he possesses for learning and achieving things under his own steam.
Ambikeshwar with his parents Shailaja and Aishwarya Katoch
After one call to Tika Ambikeshwar Katoch, I get a prompt reply to meet at his residence in Greater Kailash. As I saunter into his house, I can only imagine his childhood amid the hectic political activities of his grandmother, Maharani Chandresh Kumari of Kangra-Lambagraon in Himachal Pradesh.
As I enter, I see a huge portrait of Raja Saheb of Mandi in his traditional attire adorning the wall. The interview begins with Ambikeshwar describing himself as a responsible and focused leader. I also learn about his unfaltering inclination towards shooting and cricket. He reminisces his childhood days in Kangra where the festival of Holi was celebrated on a lavish scale with 600 people. He mentions that his family history goes back to the Mahabharata era and that he is dedicated to promoting the Katoch name, just like his father, Tikaraj Aishwarya Singh of Kangra, who has opened a museum in the Kangra fort.
Further, he chats about the Loughborough University in the United Kingdom, where he is currently studying Politics with Economics so that he can ultimately fulfil his dream to take the Katoch legacy forward. Having to move from an environment where someone does your work to doing all your chores like cooking and cleaning, he says that he has learnt to be independent. According to him, the studies are tough but his experience in the UK has been good. Tika Ambikeshwar Katoch says that not only did he enjoy his first year at university, but it was also productive as he became the Treasurer of the Model United Nation (MUN) society and the Secretary of the Loughborough University Clay Pigeon Shooting Team. A happy Ambikeshwar tells me that he was also selected for the Indian Clay Pigeon Shooting Team. He considers shooting as a prescriptive hobby, taking after his ancestors. He has also represented Rajasthan in the Under 14, 16 and 18 cricket teams.
An alumnus of Delhi Public School, Saket, Ambikeshwar says that he has always “stayed on track”. It had been an awakening for him when he had moved from his mother, Tikarani Shailaja Katoch’s school in Dharamshala to a posh international school in New Delhi. He believes in the mantra ‘Ignorance is bliss’, so when he felt the societal pressures that any student in New Delhi feels, in terms of how many shoes one has or how many cars one owns, he was able to stride comfortably, adapt and overcome these pressures. Ambikeshwar amusingly compares his transition from Himachal Pradesh to New Delhi from a one-car to a three-car requirement, where a car is needed for every occasion in New Delhi.
When I steer the conversation towards his lineage and heritage, he promptly replies that it is a great responsibility and is something which takes a hundred years to make but one second to lose. Therefore, he has taken the opportunity to go to the United Kingdom very seriously. He proclaims that he wants to concentrate on clay pigeon shooting and counter cricket in the UK. He also states that it has been a worthwhile effort to apply overseas for a bachelor’s degree after spending sleepless nights researching which got him admission in six universities in the United Kingdom and provided him with a number of great options.
When we digress to fitness, he proudly says that he has given up on eating pizza in order to become fitter. An all-rounder, Ambikeshwar also shares a passion for fishing, trekking and driving.