After five centuries of the birth of the poet, philosopher, musician and composer Kanakadasa, Bengaluru is witnessing a release of 23 books written on the 16th-century social reformer. Brought out by the Rashtrakavi Kanakadasa Study and Research Centre, the books are part of a series taken up for propagating the poet’s works.
Amongst the releases would be 15 translations of the Kannada book Sant Kavi Kanakadasa,written by Chikkamangaluru Ganesha and released earlier by the Centre. The other eight books are the research studies of scholars from Karnataka who were given a fellowship by the Centre. All 23 works will be released by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at 3 p.m. on July 3, at Yavanika Auditorium, Nrupathunga Road.
“The marathon translation work in 15 languages, including in English by D.A. Shankar from Mysuru, was completed in 10 months!” says K.T. Chikkanna, co-ordinating officer, Kanakadasa Study and Research Centre. While the translation received a State government grant of Rs. 5.25 lakh, the other eight researched books received a grant of Rs. 7.9 lakh for the project.
Kanakadasa, who has left behind 1,700 pages of his literary work, was born as Thimmappa Nayaka and belonged to a chieftain family of Kaginele village in Byadgi taluk of Haveri district. Also referred to as Kanaka Nayaka as he shunned the treasure-trove of gold he chanced upon, some of Kanaka’s compositions reveal that a grievous injury in war turned him towards composing couplets, kritis, and music to spread social unity and devotion, leading him on the path of ‘living a meaningful life.’
Sea of work
Apart from workshops and appreciation courses in each district covering 100 colleges, and a website (www.saintpoetkanaka.in) containing all his works, the Kanakadasa Study and Research Centre is receiving an annual government grant of Rs. 50 lakh for a slew of ambitious projects involving 200 scholars in Kannada and other languages. Amongst others, works in the last leg of completion include a ‘cultural lexicon’ to understand the original language used by the erudite Kanaka. “Ten scholars are involved in this work as they are re-showcasing lakhs of words used by Kanaka with the cultural and historical background in which the saint weaved them,” says K.T. Chikkanna of the centre.
The 50-volume project Karnataka Tatvakaarara Samagra Sahitya has 125 people working on the compilation of Karnataka’s pre-eminent wandering minstrels or saint-poets. With each volume containing 400+ pages, the work of nearly 250 saint-poets like Sishunala Sharifa, Gattihalli Anjanappa, Shankarananda Jogi, Chidananda Avadoota, and Lingannacharya are being recorded.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by Ranjani Govind / Bengaluru – July 02nd, 2016
If there was one constant refrain in the last ten days in Mysuru it was “Are you attending the royal wedding, did you get the invitation?” This was to witness a historic wedding after 40 years when the titular head Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar tied the knot on June 27, 2016. The royals from different parts of the country had descended to watch the six-day wedding in all its pomp and glory. Rajmata Pramoda Devi Wadiyar had planned the whole marriage to perfection that was watched by the whole world on their television screens and the lucky few in the opulent, magnificent Mysore Palace. The focus was also on the beautiful bride Trishikha Kumari Singh and her father Maharaja Kumar Harshavardhan Singh of Dungarpur and mother Rajkumari Maheshree Kumari.
After the six-day wedding, Star of Mysore caught up with a relaxed Harshavardhan Singh at Hotel Radisson Blu. The handsome Mr. Harshavardhan Singh, 60, was sitting relaxed in the lobby of the hotel after participating in the six days of hectic wedding rituals of his daughter. He was very articulate, witty and spoke at length about the wedding, the wonderful preparations made by Rajmata Pramoda Devi Wadiyar, about the young, newly-married couple, about whether it was love marriage or an arranged one, his entry into politics as the Rajya Sabha MP and how he has fallen in love with Mysuru. Excerpts.
Harshavardhan Singh being interviewed by N. Niranjan Nikam at Radisson Blu.
by N. Niranjan Nikam, Senior Journalist
Star of Mysore (SOM): Sir, just as Mysuru is in the Southern-most part of Karnataka, Dungarpur is a city in the Southern-most part of Rajasthan. The coincidence begins from here. You also have a grand legacy like the Wadiyars. How do you feel about the union of the two Princely families?
Harshavardhan Singh: Well, I feel very elated and happy that we are being part of the great Wadiyar dynasty. This is the first time we have come to the South. We had never gone South to find brides or grooms from Dungarpur. Our relations have always been with the Royal families of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan, like the Royalty of Bharathpur.
SOM: The match between Yaduveer and Trishikha, as everyone gushes, is a match made in heaven? As Mysureans we are very proud of our titular head of Wadiyar dynasty. What is the reaction in Dungarpur?
Harshavardhan Singh: Everyone is happy in our city also like they are happy here. I am getting calls from all over India. There is lots of excitement and this marriage is covered in all Rajasthan newspapers and a very prominent national newspaper carried the wedding photograph on their front page in their Delhi edition. I am also happy that Star of Mysore has covered this historic wedding very well.
SOM: Rajmata Pramoda Devi Wadiyar as we all know has planned the whole wedding meticulously and the whole world is a witness to it. What has been your experience in the last seven days?
Harshavardhan Singh: Well, it has really opened our eyes. We also follow the rituals and other ceremonies in our families. But it will last for just two or three days and a couple of hours each day. However, what we saw here was the Wadiyar dynasty culture and tradition being kept alive to the last detail. Madam has planned everything so well that every day the rituals were conducted according to the family traditions and it began in the morning and went on till the evening. That is how it should be; one must maintain our culture and traditions like visiting the temples for puja. I must tell you that both Yaduveer and Trishikha are also fully aware of the traditions and I am sure they will also keep it alive. They are young but still very mature. I have no words to thank Mrs. Wadiyar for all the wonderful arrangements she has made. We are all going back with very fond and ever-lasting memories.
SOM: There is a confusion about whether this is a love marriage or an arranged marriage. As the father of the bride, please clarify once and for all what it is?
Harshavardhan Singh: I am glad you asked me this question because there is so much being written about it. It is not a love marriage. Trishikha’s mother’s younger sister is married to Kamakshi Devi’s (daughter of the late Maharaja Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar) son. Hence, there is already a Mysuru connection among us. Yaduveer and Trishikha would meet on social occasions. When we were looking for a boy for our daughter, she said that she would not mind marrying Yaduveer. We knew Swarup Anand Gopal Raj Urs and Leela Tripurasundari Devi (biological parents of Yaduveer). We approached them. But they said that it was too early as their son was studying in the US.
After a lot of convincing they agreed but still said they had to think about it as the horoscopes (Janampatti) had to match. There are about 34-36 points which have to match and there is the ex-amount of marks for that. Luckily, they matched. However, you must also remember that first Yaduveer had to agree to the match. Again, luckily he also did. Then we have what is called ‘Roka’ which means ok or in other words you have locked it in (laughs loudly). This happened in 2013. The late Highness Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar came to the engagement and also hosted a dinner for us at the Bangalore Palace with the band playing. We were just beginning to get to know him. He had attended one of our relative’s wedding in Mount Abu. It was a tragic shock for all of us. But Her Highness has very bravely withstood the shock and then adopted Yaduveer. I came for the adoption ceremony, but I was not able to come to the coronation as we were opening a museum in Dungarpur.
You must remember that my Sambandis (He asked for an equivalent word in Kannada and I told him that it is Beegaru which he then kept repeating) have changed between the engagement and marriage. If it was Swarup and Leela when the engagement took place it is now Her Highness. It must be a very unique occasion that has happened. I reiterate that it is an arranged marriage and not a love marriage.
SOM: Yaduveer has captured the hearts and minds of the younger generation and the people of Mysuru and it is just a matter of time before Trishikha also does. Do you want to give any advice to them?
Harshavardhan Singh: You are sitting on a very high pedestal. People have lots of expectations from you. This is a very huge responsibility. There are lots of problems. I would tell them, keep life simple and be grounded. But, I know that the young couple are very mature and grounded and they will rise to the occasion.
Theirs is more of an intellectual match. He studied economics and she used to lecture on a few subjects in her class. Both read a lot of books. Hence, I don’t think I need to give them any advice at all.
SOM: You have been elected as the Rajya Sabha Member as a BJP candidate. Why did you seek to be a member of the Upper House?
Harshavardhan Singh: I didn’t seek the membership. I have never sought it. It was a pleasant bolt from the blue, so to say. I have been a great supporter of Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and a great fan of our Prime Minister Narendra Modi and also Amit Shah.
Unlike many who try for the Rajya Sabha membership, I did nothing. My grandfather, the last Princely ruler of Dungarpur, Maharwal Shri Lakshman Singh Bahadur was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 1952. He was also a four-time MLA. He was in State politics and became the Speaker.
Probably because of all this I have been chosen, thanks to the CM. The area I come from is a tribal area. I have been chosen because it is reserved for the tribes. I belong to the Swara Jathi. It is an upper caste. This is my first time in politics. People of Dungarpur have lots of expectations. You must see the interest and the adulation that people accord me.
My grand uncle, Dr. Nagendra Singh was the President of the International Court of Justice, The Hague and also one of the persons involved in framing the Constitution. My uncle the late Raj Singh Dungarpur (my father’s younger brother) was the President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India. We all love sports and I play cricket, squash and tennis.
SOM: That means both your son-in-law and you are charting the same path?
Harshavardhan Singh: Yes, we are on a similar journey. We now have to brace it out and both of us have two responsible postings (smiles).
SOM: Will you influence your son-in-law to enter politics since he has shown his inclination?
Harshavardhan Singh: I will not influence him. I will never do it (he tells very emphatically). I don’t think Yaduveer will enter politics. He has lots of responsibilities and he has to look after many things. Of course, Her Highness is there to guide him through. He may be interested in politics. Being interested and getting into it are two different things. Most Indians are interested in politics and that is why you cannot take the electorate for granted. Even the very poor know how to vote. Hats off to the Election Commission for doing a great job. The corruption and booth rigging have more or less come down.
SOM: The Royalties in the North, especially from Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh and a few other States have always had a better deal from the respective governments, unlike in Karnataka where people feel the Wadiyars have not been treated so kindly. Will this change now?
Harshavardhan Singh: I hope so. In Karnataka, Mysuru is the only State, unlike, in Rajasthan where we have so many States and hence there used to be many rulers.
There is no doubt that the Wadiyars have been treated unkindly in spite of their immense contribution to the State. There are lots of heritage properties in India, which only the Royals know how to maintain. The criticism against the Royals is that all they were interested in is girls, wine and song. Only Princes know how to look after the heritage. It is an inseparable part of their life.
SOM: The kings among hoteliers Maharana Arvind Singh Mewar and Maharajah Gaj Singh of Jodhpur were some of the distinguished guests at the Royal wedding. Have the Dungarpur Royals also been inspired to start hotels?
Harshavardhan Singh: Maharaja Kishangarh is also a big name in the hotel industry, though he was not present at the wedding.
I started the Udai Bilas Palace Hotel in Dungarpur in 1993 and it is doing quite well. It is the only heritage hotel in that part of a 100 km stretch. It is close to Gujarat and however, in Rajasthan, tourism has been given a big boost. The poorest of Rajput has become a tourist guide and is earning well. He also runs a home stay. I only hope that the Mysuru Royal family gets back its properties.
Coming to Mysuru, the more I see of it, I fall in love with it. You have such a nice Race Course and inside it a Golf Course, boulevards built during Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar’s time, you feel like you are in Europe. It is a clean and green city, a heritage city with lovely gardens and it has a good education system.
SOM: What is the emblem that is carried on your business card?
Harshavardhan Singh: The emblem or the crest depicts two tribals holding the shield with Hanuman inside carrying the Sanjeevini, the chink (antelope) on the top and with the motto inscribed “Nyayam Chirajayam,” meaning Justice for All.
SOM: After the wedding reception in Bengaluru on July 2, will you host a reception in Dungarpur?
Harshavardhan Singh: A few reports have said that I will be hosting a reception in Delhi. It is not true. You can’t go on and on. Her Highness has already done the best in hosting this wedding.
I have got both my daughters married off. My elder daughter Shivatmika is married to Tikka Saheb Jaideepsinhji Mandhattasinhji, the grandson of HH Thakore Saheb Shri Manoharsinhji Pradyumansinhji of Rajkot, last year in January.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles /by N. Niranjan Nikam, Sr. Journalist / July 02nd, 2016
Major-General H.H. Maharaja Sri Sir Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar Bahadur, Maharaja of Mysuru – 18 July 1919 to 23 Sept., 1974
1) The portrait of Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar that was used to sculpt the statue. 2) The life-size Italian marble statue of Sri Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar, sculpted by Arun Yogiraj & team of city, was installed at Hardinge Circle after a 10-hour-long process in the wee hours of June 20, 2016.
by R.G. Singh Secretary, Ramsons Kala Pratishtana
Very soon, Hardinge Circle will be known as Jayachamarajendra Circle as the city finally honours the last ruler of the erstwhile Mysuru State with the installation of a full-body portrait statue of the last Maharaja of Mysuru.
Hardinge Circle was named in commemoration of the visit of Viceroy Lord Hardinge to Mysuru. There used to be a flowery hedged circle with a high post with five domed lights in the middle of the crossroads. The circular garden vanished without a trace yet the name remained, ‘Hardinge Circle’, called raucously by bus conductors, ‘Aardinsurkel.’
The location of the Jayachamarajendra Circle at the culmination of the Albert Victor Road is meaningful as we already have the statues of two other iconic rulers of Mysuru in a row. KR Circle, as it is known, is a commemorative statue to His Highness Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar whose achievements for the well-being and development of Mysuru has been well-documented, likewise the majestic commemorative statue of Chamarajendra Wadiyar in front of the Jayarama and Balarama gate of the Palace.
History seems to have ‘overlooked’ the reign, brief though it was, of Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar. Major-General H.H. Maharaja Sri Sir Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar Bahadur, Maharaja of Mysuru. He was born on 18 July 1919 at the Chamundi Vihar Palace to Yuvarani Kempu Cheluvajammanni Avaru and H.H. Yuvaraja Kanthirava Narasimharaja Wadiyar Bahadur.
Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar had his early schooling at the Lokaranjan Mahal Royal School followed by graduate studies at Maharaja’s College of Mysore University and awarded a BA in 1938.
The death of his father on 11 March 1940 led to the title, ‘Yuvaraja Bahadur’ being conferred on him. The death of his uncle, the Maharaja on 3 August 1940, led to Jayachamarajendra ascending the throne on 29 August 1940 and anointed and installed as the Maharaja of Mysuru on 8 September 1940.
Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar was installed as the ruler of Mysuru at a time when the winds of freedom were blowing across the country. The nascent freedom fighters had already made inroads in various parts of the State. Mysuru was not an exception. Maharaja Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar signed the ‘Instrument of Accession’ on 9 August 1947 and Mysuru became a part of the Dominion of India on 15 August 1947. With an agreement merging Mysuru with Indian Union on 26 January 1950, he ceased to be sovereign.
Later he was installed as ‘Rajapramukh’ of the State of Mysuru and held this post till 31 October 1956. He was made the Governor of Mysuru on 1 November 1956 and continued till 3 May 1964, further he was made the Governor of Madras and he served till 25 June 1966.
The then Maharaja had made certain conditions to the accession of Mysuru to the Republic of India and this assurance made by the then party in power was rudely given a jolt when an Amendment to the Constitution was passed in 28 December 1971 by which the position of countless rulers were deprived of their rights as ‘rulers’ and the privy purse guaranteed under the accession agreement was abolished. Overnight, kings became ‘commoners.’
This betrayal led to an anguished Maharaja forsake the grand Dasara celebrations; placing the royal sword on the throne he retreated to a private forest reserve near Bandipur.
H.H. Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar married twice. The first marriage which took place at the Kalyana Mantapa of the Palace on 15 May 1938 was to Satya Premakumari Devi-ammanni avaru, the daughter of Pratap Singh Deo Bahadur of Jigni. The couple had no children. The Maharaja’s second marriage was to Maharani Tripurasundari Devi Ammanni Avaru, daughter of Balananja Raje Urs, an officer in the Mysuru State Forces. Both Maharanis died at Mysuru in 1983 within a span of fifteen days.
Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar died on 23 September 1974 at the Bangalore Palace leaving behind one son and four daughters (the eldest daughter had predeceased him).
Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar was an accomplished musician in both Karnatak and Western Classical music. He was an excellent pianist and there was a time when he expressed the desire to be a concert pianist and play with the great orchestras of Europe. In 1948, he was elected President of the London Philharmonic Orchestra Society. He was also an Honorary Fellow of Trinity College of Music, London (1946) and a Licentiate of the famed Guildhall School of Music.
Blessed with an ear for music, Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar discovered Russian composer Nikolai Karlovich Medtner. A contemporary of Rachmaninoff and Scriabin, he wrote several compositions, all of which include the piano. Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar discovered Medtner when the latter was living in London and in failing health. The Maharaja founded the Medtner Society with the objective of recording all Medtner’s works and managed to record several concertos with the London Philharmonic Orchestra whose first president was the Maharaja. In gratitude to his patron, Medtner dedicated his Third Piano Concerto to the Maharaja of Mysuru.
The Maharaja was also equally at home in the realm of Karnatak music, both as an instrumentalist and a composer. There are 74 Karnatak compositions by him.
He was also the Vice-Chancellor of Mysore, Madras, Annamalai Universities as well as the Benares Hindu University. Like his forefathers he was a Patron & Chief Scout of Mysuru State between 1940-1956, Chairman of the Wildlife Board of India. He was conferred a Hon LL.D by the Banaras Hindu University (1942), a D.Lit. by the Annamalai University in 1955 and a Hon. D.Lit. from the University of Queensland, Australia.
That he was deeply spiritual can be gauged by his scholarly books: “An Aspect of Indian Aesthetics” (1956), “Dattatreya-the Way and the Goal” (1957), “The Quest for Peace: An Indian Approach” (1959), “The Gita and Indian Culture” (1963) and “Religion and Man” (1965).
It is said that he had visited the ashram of the sage, Ramana Maharishi, in Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu. No Palace diarist has recorded this meeting but what is available is a book published by the ashram, ‘Day by day with Bhagavan’ by one Devaraja Mudaliar. In an entry dated 1945, there is Devaraja Mudaliar and others talking to Ramana Maharishi. Asks Mudaliar: ‘It is said that the Mysuru Maharaja had come to see you.’ Nodding in agreement, the Sage replies: ‘He just sat quietly. He did not ask any questions. After sometime he bowed and took his leave saying that he would like to live here but the call of his people was too strong.’
Maharaja was also a good equestrian and fond of dogs. Regular visitors to the Palace in the late 50s would normally be shocked when they were in the Amba Vilas waiting to see the Maharaja, they would instead be forced into immobility as a pair of giant hounds wandered in and sat flanking the hapless visitor. The Maharaja would arrive, apologise on behalf of the dogs. “They will not hurt a fly” the Maharaja is said to have remarked leading one of the visitors to comment later on, “but I am not a fly.’ The Maharaja was quite accessible to his subjects and visitors.
Those fortunate enough to have met him would unanimously say, ‘A gentleman and a scholar.’
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / by R.G. Singh, Secretary, Ramsons Kala Pratishtana / July 02nd, 2016
