We Miss You…Still

By Ashvini Ranjan

H.K. Shivananda, IAS, former Administrator of Mysore City Corporation (MCC) during 1980, recently wrote a three-part article titled ‘Reminiscences of Mysore City and Dasara Celebrations’ in Star of Mysore.

The third part of the article appeared on Saturday, 3rd September 2022.  In the article, Shivananda refers to seeing a hoarding during the 1980 Dasara celebrations, which carried the photo of late Jayachamaraja Wadiyar, the Maharaja of Mysore, at the corner of K.R. Circle. Our Mysore Maharaja died in 1974. Even though six years had passed at the time of erecting the hoarding, to us old Mysoreans,  Dasara was not the same without him. The man was truly an epitome of grace ! 

To us he was ‘Namma Maharajru.’ However grand the Jumboo Savari processions have been since then, his absence atop the royal elephant and seated inside the shimmering Golden Howdah, the event appears incomplete.  

The mention of the hoarding in the article brought back memories to me. I was at that time a small businessman and the name of my business firm was ‘Chanakya.’ It was I who had composed the message and erected the hoarding measuring 20 feet by 10 feet.

NOTE: A Timely Remembrance: The picture shows a hoarding put up on the main Dasara procession route, Sayyaji Rao Road (near the Small Clock Tower) by the proprietors of Chankaya Textile Show Room to coincide with Dasara season.

The colourful hoarding with just three simple but highly sentimental words “We Miss You” alongside a portrait of the last Maharaja of Mysore, the late Jayachamaraja Wadiyar, is presently attracting the attention of the passers-by. While the old-timers go nostalgic seeing the hoarding, the new generation seems to be raising its eyebrows.

The late Maharaja was a benevolent ruler and a familiar figure during the Dasara procession (in fact the centre of attraction) for many many years. This year with the Golden Howdah, on which the Maharaja used to sit during the procession, having been brought out for the first time in 10 years for the procession, many indeed missed the Maharaja.

The hoarding perhaps expresses not only the feelings of the person who put it up but also that of those who loved and admired the late Maharaja. — Editor

Other than the photo of the late Maharaja, there were only three words in the hoarding which read ‘WE MISS YOU.’  It was my way of paying tribute to the departed soul and expressing a feeling to a man who I admired immensely. 

I was pleasantly surprised when late Krishna Vattam,  then senior reporter of the Deccan Herald newspaper, interviewed me about the hoarding. I recall him telling me that in the three words WE MISS YOU, it had captured the sentiment of all Mysoreans.

When the photograph of the hoarding appeared in Star of Mysore then with a note by its Editor K.B. Ganapathy, it became a talking point in the city. I had not imagined a ubiquitous hoarding would get so much attention. 

There is one interesting episode that is worth recalling. A group of Kannada protagonists approached me and insisted that I write a Kannada equivalent of  ‘WE MISS YOU.’  I was in a fix. I finally agreed to heed to their wish if they could provide me a translation of the message that the hoarding carried not exceeding three words.  They never came back! 

Strangely, I had either lost or misplaced all the photographs of the hoarding. Where would one begin a search to find a 42 photo (42nd Street Photo was America’s favourite Photo Store started as a family owned business in 1955 and located on 42nd Street) or a newspaper clipping?

There were no computers then to digitise information like we have today. The only way to preserving old documents had to be in the physical form. I Google searched the archives of the then dailies to find out if they had subsequently digitised the archives.  The effort was in vain.

Then I contacted Star of Mysore Office to find out if they could trace it out from the old issue. Other than giving them the month of 1980 Dasara, I could not be of any further help. The four decades had taken its toll on my memory.

On the 5th of September, I saw a WhatsApp message from SOM. It had the photograph of the issue dated Thursday, 23rd October 1980.  There it was, the picture of the hoarding I had put up which boldly said ‘WE MISS YOU.’ I was overwhelmed.

Truly admirable Star of Mysore for preserving such old issues of your newspaper.  You helped me retrieve a memorable event in the past which I thought I had lost forever.  Thank You STAR.