Sir,

Sri Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar, the last king of Mysore, has been dear to all Mysureans because of his royal bearing of dignity, generosity and culture. He was a true heir of his uncle Rajarshi, Nalwadi. It is heartening to know that now is the beginning of Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar’s centenary.

He happens to be a people’s king who belonged to a great tradition of the Wadiyar family that made Mysore a model State in our country. The Central government should have issued a stamp in his honour, it can still do it.  The State government should have organised various functions to celebrate the event. The Palace family at least should have evinced some interest in the context. But it is shocking and painful that the Maharaja’s new statue at the Hardinge Circle in city looks mute and abandoned.

Let the concerned citizens wake up and try to pay gratitude to the king with extraordinary talent for music, literature and arts. What a stunningly handsome young prince he was and no Indian king looked like one in his costume as our Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar did!

I have a special reason to sound emotional as he was friendly with my father Prof. C.D. Narasimhaiah and we have rare photographs of both of them at Maharaja’s College and Yale University.

– C. N. Srinath, Director, Dhvanyaloka, Bogadi Road, 30.8.2018

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