By Gouri Satya, Sr. Journalist

In over five decades of service as a journalist, donning a double role as the Editor of ‘Samachar’ and reporter of a few State and National Dailies, I had several experiences, many of which continue to be fresh in my memory. One such experience was significant and is worth recalling.

It was the Emergency period. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had declared an Emergency all over the country. Many National, State-level and even local-level leaders had been taken into custody. At that time, D. Devaraj Urs was at the helm of affairs in the State. He had joined the Congress party in 1952, based on his strong political-ideological convictions.

As Chief Minister, he had given a new direction to the State, adopting progressive policies that brought him respect and admiration from all sections of the society. He initiated many programmes and policies bearing in mind the welfare of the people and the State, particularly those from the weaker sections.

When the Congress split into the Nijalingappa faction and Indira Gandhi faction in 1969, Devaraj Urs strongly supported Indira Gandhi and helped in the task of consolidation of the Indira Congress in the State. He enabled her to win all 27 seats in the 1972 Lok Sabha elections from the State and commanded respect. With his policies and dynamism, he had emerged as an alternative leader for his partymen. Indira Gandhi was aware of his abilities and appreciated his work both within the party and the State.

When Indira Gandhi imposed an Emergency in the country on June 25, 1975, he was unhappy. He was reluctant to follow her diktat and arrest many prominent leaders in the State. He was even critical of the imposition of Emergency and abuse of political power by her henchmen. Naturally, Indira Gandhi was not happy with Urs’ stance. Political differences began to crop up between the two leaders.

It was at this time that Indira Gandhi visited Mysuru. She stayed overnight at the Government House. The next day, when she woke up to take the flight back to Delhi, she was looking fresh and relaxed.

The early morning rain had made the atmosphere pleasant and pleasing. The air was refreshingly cool with the smell of the rain spread all around. Prominent Congress party leaders led by Chief Minister Devaraj Urs and senior officials were waiting to bid farewell to the Prime Minister at the helipad.

Those were the days when security was less tight than we see today. Access even to a Minister or a Legislator is difficult today. However, during my days, the scenario was different. One could have easy access to any leader without security checks and restrictions.

On that day morning, we were about 20 waiting for the Prime Minister, conversing with top Police officers and a few leaders who included the Chief Minister, his Ministerial colleagues and party leaders. There were not many of them and it was a small crowd. A refreshed Prime Minister came out of her car and began to walk towards the helicopter. We observed there was very little bonhomie between Urs and Indira Gandhi. Both were cold to each other, considering their political closeness. There were no whispers or a brief tete-e-tete as generally took place on such occasions.

The Prime Minister was walking past the pressmen. Trying to draw her attention, I asked her, “How was your stay, Madam.”

Indira Gandhi turned back and stood looking at the small group of pressmen. Having heard my question, she came a little closer to me and responding to my ‘Namaste’ with folded hands, she said, “It was pleasant. Mysuru is a beautiful city.”

Her next few words were loaded with significant meaning. It indicated the increasing differences between herself and Devaraj Urs, who was standing close to her.

“Ask your Chief Minister to invite me often,” she said, walking towards the copter.

Her last sentence revealed enough for a good copy as we say in journalistic language. There were already rumours about the political differences cropping up between the two leaders. Her reply further confirmed the rumours and gave us a good copy to write about.

The rest was history as they say. Political developments that followed brought about significant changes in the politics of the country. Devaraj Urs was expelled from the party. He was defeated in the election held thereafter in 1980 and R. Gundu Rao became the Chief Minister.

Two years later Devaraj Urs, who had emerged on the national scene as a dynamic leader and provided a new image to the State with his policies and programmes, including naming the State as ‘Karnataka,’ passed away, ditched by his close political associates, mental agonies and sickness hastening his end. It was the sad end   of a stalwart.

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By Gouri Satya, Sr. Journalist

In Mysore, one comes across streets bearing names of prominent institutions which are on that stretch. One such road, which marks a kindergarten school, is the ‘Gopalaswamy Shishu Vihara Rasthe’.

It is in Lakshmipuram, near Nanjumalige Circle, on the southern side of the petrol bunk opposite Christ the King Convent (CKC). The popular nursery school has grown in size adding classes of higher levels over the years.

Kindergarten movement

The establishment of the Shishu Vihara heralded the kindergarten movement in Mysore. Till then, little attention was being paid to pre-school children to mould their potential and make them eligible for admission to primary school. Children up to the age of 5-6 had to stay in their homes without motivation to learn during the crucial stage of childhood.

Dr. Gopalaswamy realised the need to create opportunities for the holistic development of these pre-schoolers by building their social, emotional, literacy, and fine motor skills in an open environment. To bridge the gap, he started the Shishu Vihara, the first of its kind in the country.

Department of Psychology

Dr. Gopalaswamy was a Professor of Psychology and Logic at the prestigious Maharaja’s College. He founded the Department of Psychology in the College in 1924. It was the second oldest department in the country and was initially called the Psychology Laboratory.

Psychology was one of the three optional subjects, which the degree students studied for two years. It was usually combined with Economics, Politics, Sociology, Languages, Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics. The Honours students, however, studied Psychology for three years. Degrees were awarded based on theses incorporating the results of experimental work or papers.

The subject became increasingly popular and the number of students who had passed BA, BA (Hons.) and MA courses was as many as 244 during 1946-1950. The Department developed many of the Psychology apparatus in its workshop. It also did laudable work in the field of nursery education and mass education by Radio.

First nursery school

The keen interest in nursery education was evinced by Prof. Gopalaswamy, who had obtained his B.Sc and Ph.D in London, in addition to his BA degree from Madras University, which led to the starting of the nursery school in 1928.

Apart from Mysore State, it was the first nursery school to be established in the country for young children, and the credit for establishing it goes to Prof. Gopalaswamy, who was determined to take up nursery school work as a mission in his life. The school received the patronage of the Department of Public Instruction and the Mysore City Municipal Council.

Through the newly started children’s school, he introduced a new concept of innovative education. He gave the name, ‘Shishu Vihara’, to the pioneering school he had started.

He realised that early childhood education was vital and that the kindergarten method was best suited to the socio-economic conditions of our country. He was also aware that nursery school activities helped mould the potentialities of preschool children on scientific lines.

Bearing this in mind, he tried modern methods of child education individually and collectively. Ingenious educational devices and tools were devised and put to use in his institution.

Picture story narration, dramatisation and recitation of nursery rhymes were the main features of this institution as against strictness, coercion, goading or even direct teaching. A great variety of activities were taught to promote physical, mental, moral and social talent in children.

All efforts were made to cultivate and develop healthy habits which in the long run would become their intrinsic character and mould the potentialities of the pre-schoolers on scientific lines. Gardening also played a prominent part. In the backyard of the school, a kitchen garden had been raised where teachers worked together and grew vegetables and greens.

Shishu Vihara

The visionary Professor spared no effort to make the Shishu Vihara experiment a model one. He trained his mother and wife, Kamala Gopalaswamy, in nursery and Montessori methods and they became teachers for the little children. He invited Kannada poet G.P. Rajarathnam to the school.

Children’s poems that Rajarathnam recited and taught became popular among the little children who began to sing and enjoy. The compilation of the children’s poems brought him fame as a children’s poet. His popular poems like ‘Kadalepuri’, ‘Kene Haalu’, ‘Kallu Sakkare’ and ‘Thuththoori’ were the result of his participation among the children in the Shishu Vihara, thanks to Prof. Gopalaswamy.

The Gopalaswamy Shishu Vihara also had another objective. It was an experimental institution for psychology students and teachers, to understand the mental abilities of growing-up children and the fillip needed for the development of their faculties in the appropriate way to make them fit for the next stage of school learning. It served as a laboratory to study and analyse the development of preschool children.

Much valuable data regarding the comparative value of the new type and traditional examination methods were gathered which in turn helped in improving teaching methodology. It resulted in framing new types of examination papers in all subjects, except the languages in 1932.

Akashvani was another outcome

The establishment of the Shishu Vihara resulted in another fruitful outcome. It gave a fillip to Prof. Gopalaswamy to launch the experimental broadcasting station, Akashvani, at his residence in Vontikoppal in Mysore in 1935. The Broadcasting Station was aimed at promoting mass education through Radio. It also helped his students in the study of listeners’ tastes and the psychology of propaganda.

Like Shishu Vihara, Akashvani also became a household name. The Kannada name was quickly taken up by the Government and was adopted for all its stations. After the adoption of the Kannada name, stations of All India Radio came to be called Akashvani, a term which became familiar among all listeners of AIR programmes across the country.

All these visionary efforts of Prof. Gopalaswamy led to a varied nature of work in the Psychology Laboratory of Maharaja’s College, where he served for two decades as the Head of the Department and subsequently as the Principal of the College.

Thesis on valuable subjects like “Growth of Intelligence during the first year of Childhood”, “The Language Development of the Pre-school Child”, “The Development of Fear, Anger, and Laughter in Children”, “Pre-school Mental Tests”, “Personality Types” etc. were among those produced there.

Shishu Vihara became synonymous with kids

The ‘Shishu Vihara’ name he gave to his kindergarten school became so popular many Shishu Viharas came up later emulating its example. Deshmukhi Krishnamurthy had worked in Dr. Gopalaswamy’s Shishu Vihara for ten years and gained experience as a nursery school teacher.

With the background of his experience, he started Sri Jagadamba Shishu Vihara in 1939, which also became popular. He also devised ingenious educational devices and methods of nursery school education, evincing great interest in nursery and kindergarten methods.

A pioneer that Gopalaswamy was

The pioneering institution started by Prof. Gopalaswamy proudly carries his name even today. The road where the Gopalaswamy Shishu Vihara stands has been named after him and his institution. A matter of regret is the etched street sign embedded into a compound wall on the street corner is lost now. While constructing a new compound wall, the tablet, worthy of preserving, has been discarded. Probably, it has disappeared along with the rubble.

Prof. M.V. Gopalaswamy, who pioneered nursery education in the country, was born in 1896 in an affluent family of a judge. He has left solid footprints on the development of Mysore, which had a wide-ranging impact on the country. ‘Akashvani’, ‘Shishu Vihara’, and the Department of Psychology at Mysore University stand as a monument to this learned Professor of Mysore.

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By Gouri Satya, Sr. Journalist

While recording the development of Mysuru, we generally hail the contribution made by the Maharajas and the Dewans. We attribute most of the progressive works to them and also to some British Residents, like J.D. Gordon.

But there were many others, who, working in different capacities in the then Mysore Government, strove for the development of the State. However, their services have remained obscure. To list them and their services perhaps would run into a big volume. Here is an attempt to record the services of a few of them:

M. Krishnaswamy Rao — A distinguished individual

M. Krishnaswamy Rao of Mysore belonged to a family which had been closely identified with the State service for over two centuries. One of his ancestors, Bacha Rao, held an appointment next only to that of the Dewan in the time of Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar III.

The faithful services rendered by the members of his family are referred to by Buchanan and Wilks in their works.

Krishnaswamy Rao was born in 1870 as the son of Muhatub Ganghadhara Rao of the Mysore Palace service. After his education in the Mysore Maharaja’s College, Madras Christian College and Madras Law College, he joined the Mysore service as Revenue Probationer in 1896, became Deputy Amildar in 1898, and worked as Amildar in various places.

He later became an Assistant Commissioner. After serving as the Vice-President of the Bangalore City Municipality in 1906, he was transferred to Mysore as Vice-President of the Municipality and ex-officio member of the Board of Trustees for the Improvement of Mysore city in 1908, where he made a significant contribution.

Gubra Cutcherry Babu Rao — Dewan Purnaiya’s rival

During the rule of Krishnaraja Wadiyar III, there was an official who was considered a rival to Dewan Purnaiya. Commonly called Gubra Cutcherry Babu Rao, because he was its head at one time, this official entered service in his youth under Hyder. He was present at the Perambakkam battle where British Col. Baillie was defeated. He served in the army till Hyder’s death and entered Gubra Cutcherry, subsequently called Dewan’s Cutcherry.

He was treated by Krishnaraja Wadiyar III “next to that distinguished individual (Purnaiya) as most fit to perform the office of Finance Minister.” Babu Rao was thrice Dewan of Mysore during the reign of Krishnaraja Wadiyar III (1817-1818, 1820-21 and 1822-1825).

His first appointment was in 1817 and was recalled twice to that post even after his retirement by Col. Briggs, the Senior Commissioner. Briggs remarked of him that his “experience of the revenue details of Mysore exceeds that of any man in the country.” Babu Rao died in 1834.

Raghavalu Naidu — Engineer par excellence

Raghavalu Naidu was the Executive Engineer of the Mysore Palace Division. Born on September 19, 1852, he was educated at the School of Engineering and Natural Science, Bangalore.

After a brief stint with the Madras Government, he entered the service of the Mysore Government as Apprentice Engineer, Bangalore Division, in August 1878. Officiating as Executive Engineer from 1892 onwards, he engaged in many special works, including the construction of large tanks at Barankanive, Marikanive etc.

He was put in charge of the building of the new Palace in Mysore in 1897, to replace the former building which had been to a certain extent destroyed by fire. He was sent on deputation to Calcutta, Delhi, Agra, and other places in Northern India to study architectural designs for the new Palace, which were under construction in 1901, 1902 and 1903. The demolishing of the remains of the old structure and the building of the splendid new edifice was his work.

Several noted constructions

He was responsible for building the Marriage Pavilion for which he was awarded a bonus of a month’s pay by the Government, and the Maharaja, pleased with his work, presented Naidu with a gold watch in open Durbar.

He was also in charge of the construction works for the reception of Lord Curzon, and did his work so well that the Maharaja granted him a large increase in his personal allowance, and presented him with a handsome diamond ring. He designed and built the showcase for the exhibits at the Franco-British Exhibition of 1908, for which he was presented with a Diploma of Honour. He was also awarded a silver medal by the Madras Fine Arts Society for the exhibits sent from the Palace Division and a gold medal by the Indian Congress Exhibition held in Bombay in 1904 for the Palace Division exhibits. Entrusted with the improvement of Mysore, he engaged himself in the erection of nearly all the public buildings and Bazars in Mysore City. Naidu also designed and carried out extensions, parks, and large architectural buildings. He retired from service on January 26, 1909.

Manepanda Muttannah — Noted forest keeper

A personality from Coorg to serve Mysore was Manepanda Muttannah. Born as the son of a large land owner on October 2, 1855, he had his education at Mercara Central School and Central College, Bangalore. Joining service as Probationer in the Forest Department of Mercara in 1878, he served in the Central Provinces, 1886-98, and then transferred to Madras Service where he served in the Sub-Assistant Conservator’s grade until 1889 when he was promoted as Assistant Conservator.

Later, his services were placed at the disposal of the Mysore Government, which appointed him as the Deputy Conservator of Forests. In December 1901, he was promoted to Conservator of Forests and Secretary to the Government of Mysore in the Forest Department.

In July 1904, he was appointed Conservator of Forests, Mysore. During 12 years of his stewardship, the Forest Department was organised on a sound footing. He was conferred ‘Rai Bahadur’ in 1899. He retired in 1914.

Sir Hajee K.T. Ismail Sait — Khan Bahadur

Even the rich came forward to serve the State under the Maharaja. Sir Hajee K.T. Ismail Sait, born on March 7, 1869, was a banker, mill owner, and merchant. He was a Hon. Magistrate, in Bangalore in 1888, and a member of the Madras Legislative Council. He served as Chairman and Director of several joint stock companies, including Mysore Bank Ltd., Bhadravathi Iron & Steel Works, and Government Sandalwood Factory. Sait constructed and endowed a Gosha Hospital in Bangalore. He was conferred the title ‘Khan Bahadur’ in 1911.

H. Nanjundaraj Urs — Lokahitaishi

In 1900, a plan to demolish houses within the Fort in Mysore was taken up. Before demolition, the assessment of houses to be demolished was initiated. H. Nanjundaraj Urs was placed on special duty for this purpose.

Urs was born in Mysore in 1858 and after his education in the Mysore Royal School under Colonel Malleson, he joined the State service as Attaché in the Military Department at Bangalore in 1880 and was transferred in the same capacity to Mysore, in 1885.

Illustrations of Ramayana at Palace

He was appointed Officiating Revenue Assistant Commissioner in 1888 and was placed in charge of Muzrai and general duty. In 1894, he was made the Vice-President of the Mysore Municipality. In 1902, he became the Superintendent, Amrut Mahal Department and a year later he was invested with the powers of 1st Class Magistrate. The title of ‘Lokahitaishi’ was conferred on him by the Maharaja in 1913.

The decoration of the walls of the newly built Palace was assigned to eminent artists. M. Shama Rao of Mysore, a Palace Artist at the time of Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV, was among them. He executed many excellent paintings adorning the walls of the Palace and also executed chromo-litho illustrations of Ramayana. Besides, he supplied coloured maps in Kannada characters to the Educational Department of Mysore State.

V.N. Narasimmiyengar — Effective controller

V.N. Narasimmiyengar entered service at the age of 18. He obtained the appointment of Revenue Munshi in the Superintendent’s Office of the Chitradurga Division. He was promoted to Revenue Sheristadar, and in 1864 acted as Public Prosecutor, earning the encomiums of the European heads of the Department.  In 1867, he was appointed to the Mysore Inam Commission as Assistant Commissioner. After his position as General Assistant Commissioner, he was placed on famine duty as Special Relief Officer. Through his services in this post, he earned the thanks of the Chief Commissioner.

Special Test Census Officer

He also served as Special Test Census Officer after the great famine of 1877. In 1879, he was appointed Deputy Commissioner and later as Sessions Judge, Mysore. In 1886, he resigned from the service. However, in 1890, he was selected to conduct the Provincial Census. “In the performance of this duty,” it was described, “he worked with great zeal and assiduity and his report left nothing to be desired.” He was warmly thanked for this work by both the Indian and the Mysore Governments. His report was a model of good writing, by which he infused life into the dry statistics which he had to handle. Sir Seshadri Iyer declared that “his statistics decidedly spoke.” The last office held by Narasimmiyengar was that of the Palace Controller from 1897 to 1904, when he finally retired.

In this capacity, he showed ability and much firmness, detecting malpractices and putting a stop to corruption, waste and jobbery. He was a man of great erudition, both Eastern and Western, and was a profound scholar in Sanskrit and English. Imbued with liberal principles, both social and religious, he actively promoted social reforms.

Nuggehalli Narasimmiyengar — Yajaman

Many officers also won laurels from the British officers and one of them was Variyur Nuggehalli Narasimmiyengar, a member of the State Legislative Council, who earned encomiums at every stage of his service like his father.

Born in 1842 as the son of Dewan N. Narasimmiyengar of Tumkur, who held high office under the British Government, this gentleman by his sterling character earned the affections of the people and was remembered by the sobriquets of Dewan and Yajaman. He was respected alike by the British Government and his sovereign.

P. Palpu — Vaccine man who rose to heights

When we are hearing much about vaccines, here is the story of a pioneer who did yeoman service in the then Mysore State over a century ago. P. Palpu, L.M. & S., D.P.H. was born in  Trivandrum, on November 2, 1863. He was educated at Maharaja’s College, Trivandrum, Medical College, Madras, and King’s College, London. He also pursued his studies in Paris, Berlin and other centres of learning in Europe.

He entered public service in 1890 as Medical Superintendent of the Government Special Vaccine Depot, Madras, and was soon promoted to be Senior Superintendent. Next year, he was selected by Mysore Durbar to start a Vaccine Institute for the State. He joined the Mysore service on September 20, 1891, and started the Vaccine Institute at Bangalore so efficiently that not only Mysore State but also several districts of the Madras Presidency and other parts of India and Burma got their supply of vaccines from the Institute.

He also worked in the Medical Department of the State, in St. Martha’s Hospital, in Lunatic and Leper Asylums and in medical stores. In August 1894, he was placed in sole sub-charge of these Institutions. He continued in these appointments till August 1898, when on the first outbreak of plague he was appointed Superintendent of Plague Camps in Bangalore City.

On the subsidence of the plague that year, he was deputed to England where he obtained the D. P. H. of Cambridge. In 1900, he returned to duty in Bangalore and served as the Health Officer of the city, in which appointment he continued till the middle of 1905.

Inspector of Vaccination

In 1902 he was appointed ex-officio Vice-President of the City Municipality. In 1905, he was given the provincial appointment of Personal Assistant to the Sanitary Commissioner of the Government of Mysore where he functioned until August 1907 when he was promoted as Deputy Sanitary Commissioner and Inspector of Vaccination. In this capacity, he also became a Member and Secretary, Central Sanitary Board.

Palpu was a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Public Health, and a Member of the British Medical Association, London. He studied as special subjects — Bacteriology, Serum Therapy, and Tropical Medicine, in London, Sudbury, Paris, Lille, Berlin, and Rome.

Besides these few, there were many more efficient and dedicated men in the then-Mysore Government of the Wadiyars.

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Mysuru: A Look at its Past… By Gouri Satya, Sr. Journalist

Not only the Maharajas and the benevolent ones, but even a Dewan also built an Agrahara in Mysore during the days of the Wadiyars. We have streets and roads built by the Dewans or named after them. But no Dewan has built an Agrahara except this Dewan, which is also named after him. However, the Agrahara built by him had only a few houses, unlike most of the other Agraharas in Mysore.

After Mysore became the residential city of the Wadiyars in 1799, the city began to witness expansion suiting the increase. The work of providing houses for those who migrated to the royal city, attracted by the support and encouragement given by the King, had commenced during the reign of Krishnaraja Wadiyar III alone. New Agraharas came up during his reign, as he and his queens took it up as an act of charity. Gradually, Mysore had begun to see the happier days, people settling down under the patronage of a   benign Maharaja.

The growth of Mysore became evident during the reign of Chamaraja Wadiyar X, who succeeded after the demise of Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar III, most known as Mummadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar in 1868.

A traditional city of small size began to take a turn towards modernity. In this task, two competent Dewans, Rangacharlu (1881-1883) and Seshadri Iyer (1883-1901) ably assisted the Maharaja, playing a significant role in bringing about reforms in administration and initiating schemes and projects that laid the foundation for a progressive State.

The construction of the Railway line linking Bangalore with Mysore was one such major achievement. It had been taken up as 1877-78 famine-relief work. It was commissioned in 1882 when Rangacharlu was the Dewan. It provided connectivity up to Madras, the present Chennai. Chennai-Bangalore Railway line was already existing by then. The new Railway line gave a boost to the economic growth of the State.

Rangacharlu, who had brought about many reforms in administration and improved the finances of the State, had proposed to extend the Railway line up to Tiptur. However, he was not destined to live long enough to carry out his ideas. He was taken ill and died at Madras (Chennai) in December 1882. Dewan Rangacharlu was succeeded by Seshadri Iyer. The Railway link to Tiptur became a reality during Dewan Seshadri Iyer’s period.

Seshadri Iyer served the State for 18 long years and was the second longest serving Dewan next to Dewan Purniah. He was Dewan to Chamaraja Wadiyar till the Maharaja’s premature death in 1894 and continued during the Regency of Vani Vilasa Sannidhana Kempananjammanni as Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar was still a minor. Seshadri Iyer retired in 1901, before the termination of the Regency and installation of Nalwadi in 1902, and passed away soon after. During his period, the Kingdom saw progress in different directions including transport, irrigation, mining and electric power.

Kumarapuram Seshadri Iyer was born on June 1, 1845, in a Tamil-speaking family at Kumarapuram, near Palghat, in the present Kerala State then in Madras State. His parents were Ananthanarayanan Iyer and Venkatalakshamma. After his early education in Kozhikode (Calicut), he graduated from the Presidency College in Chennai. He had begun his official life in 1866 as a Translator in the Collector’s Office in his native town of Calicut in the Madras Presidency.

There being need in Mysore for the services of capable English-knowing men, Seshadri Iyer, at the suggestion of Rangacharlu, was appointed Judicial Sheristadar in the Superintendent’s office at Mysore, which he joined on 30th October 1868. With this, he entered the services in the Mysore kingdom. After he took the E.L. Degree of the Madras University in 1874, he was appointed Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrate of one of the districts in 1879, and from August 1881 he was placed on special duty in the Dewan’s office under Rangacharlu.

Seshadri Iyer entered upon his new duties as Dewan with great earnestness and wisdom and proved himself a man of undoubted talents. He set right the disorganised finances of the State and plugged the deficit. The finances needed to be set right first for improving the efficiency of the administration. Realising that agriculture was mainly dependent on tanks which were in a bad shape, a new Public Works Division was formed. The improvement in irrigation and restoration of tanks and river channels was entrusted to it.

In 1900, he initiated the first hydroelectric project in Asia at Sivasamudra to harness the waters of the Cauvery falls. But unfortunately, he could not be a witness to its commissioning in 1902. The ill health compelled him to retire and his end came soon after in 1901.

The completion of the power scheme and transmission of power to the Kolar Gold Fields (KGF) for the first time, drawing the longest transmission line in the world at that time, was hailed as “Thus one of the greatest and most recent developments of modern science was successfully carried out in Mysore and to the Maharani-Regent and her advisers belonged the credit of carrying out this                                        bold enterprise.”

During Seshadri Iyer’s administration, a number of works to put Bangalore on modern lines were initiated. In order to decongest the thickly crowded areas which frequently saw the outbreak of the dreaded plague in Bangalore, the visionary Administrator and Statesman developed Basavanagudi and Malleswaram to rehabilitate those who had lost their houses. This brought in new industries and businesses boosting the prosperity of Bangalore. As a result of the various initiatives undertaken by him, Seshadri Iyer became popular as the “Maker of Modern Bangalore.” 

Besides the construction of the Marikanave dam in the arid district of Chitradurga and the reconstruction of the fire-destroyed Palace, a number of other useful measures were initiated during the tenure of Seshadri Iyer. In all these, he had a major role to play as Dewan.

Dewan Sir K. Seshadri Iyer, a man who was responsible for making Mysore a modern kingdom with many achievements to his credit, has left permanent landmarks in his memory. He “possessed a powerful intellect and a strenuous will. During his long period of office, he rendered various useful services to the country of his adoption and achieved distinction as a Statesman of Indian repute.”

Later, a statue was raised and a building known as the Seshadri Iyer Memorial Hall in Cubbon Park at Bangalore to commemorate his services was constructed. Today, it houses the Bangalore Central Library, his statue standing in front of it.

Sir Seshadri Iyer built an Agrahara in Mysore and Prof. Venkatachala Sastry, veteran scholar, writes in his booklet on Ambale Annaiah Pandit, “emulating Ambale Annaiah Pandit, Seshadri Iyer built an Agrahara of nine houses and donated them to Brahmins with ‘Vritti’.”

The Dewan’s Agrahara today has come to be popularly called ‘Dewan’s Road’, while its original name was ‘Sir Seshadri Iyer Road’. It stretches from Kantharaj Urs Road to Bannimantap Road, near the Bamboo Bazar area. On this road stands the historic ‘Kumara Bhavana’ where he resided when he was serving the State. The Offices of the Commercial Taxes are accommodated in this heritage building now.

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By Gouri Satya, Sr. Journalist

Kashipathy Agrahara in K.R. Mohalla is the largest Agrahara built in Mysuru. While the Agraharas were built by the Maharajas, their queens and others were one stretch of road with about 21 houses, Kashipathy Agrahara is spread out into a block of a few streets covering an extensive area from the Chamaraja Double Road to Nala Beedi and Renuka Temple Street.

The Agrahara is named after Kashipathy Sastry, who built it for himself, his relatives and a few Brahmin priests. It comprised 62 houses and the numbers have increased now. The houses were spacious with open places in front of each house having trees like coconut and flowering trees. The people who lived there were scholars and musicians.

Kashipathy Sastry was a learned scholar and renowned astrologer of the Palace. He also traded in diamonds, it is believed. Dealing in diamonds had made him rich. He had accumulated such huge wealth that the chains of the swing (Uyyale) in his house were of gold, it is said. His period is stated to be around 1870 when Maharaja Chamaraja Wadiyar was reigning.

Kashipathy Sastry was the son of Pinnappa Sastry and the family hailed from Kanchi. They lived at Sevilimedu village, about 5 km away from the famous temple town of Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu. Built by the Cholas, the Lakshminarasimhaswamy Temple is believed to be around 1200 years old.

Some of his descendants visit the temple regularly to worship their home deity, Lakshminarasimha, whose name has been given to many among the descendants. Coming to know of his scholarship, the then Sringeri Swamiji suggested Maharaja Chamaraja Wadiyar to invite Kashipathy Sastry to Mysuru.

Accordingly, the Maharaja invited him to Mysuru and offered him all facilities. He provided him with one of the ten houses built near the Krishnaswamy Temple within the Palace fort. Sastry lived there enjoying the patronage of the Maharaja.

Kashipathy Sastry was the youngest among three brothers. The eldest was a Vedic scholar and the second one was a musician. Being a reputed astrologer and expert in diamonds, Kashipathy Sastry developed a close association with Chamaraja Wadiyar and became his adviser.

The Maharaja, it is said, used to consult Kashipathy Sastry on several issues and they were seen discussing till late hours. His association was so close he could dine with the Maharaja, a privilege that was enjoyed only by the members of the royal family. He had also the privilege of going to the Palace in his horse-driven coach.

In appreciation of his scholarship, the Maharaja had gifted Kashipathy Sastry two or three Jodi gramas (two villages) and a piece of land at the foot of Chamundi Hill. Kashipathy Sastry had also fertile irrigated lands and mango gardens.

Kashipathy Laya

When plague epidemic spread within the Palace Fort and his uncle became a victim, Kashipathy Sastry decided to move out. He bought a vast tract of land belonging to Bakshi Basappaji near the Fort, where he built a huge house that opened at one end of the present Chamaraja Double Road, earlier called Chamaraja Road, and closed at the other end of the road leading to Thyagaraja Road.

Besides his palatial house, he built a Mantapa and 62 houses, all enclosed within a wall. The houses were given to his relatives and 2-3 Telugu Brahmins who were associated with Sastry on nominal rent. It was called Kashipathy Laya.

In this Agrahara, we can see houses spread within small crossroads. The wall around them no longer exists. His descendants lived there for a long time, even after their forefather’s death. Among them was the astrologer’s eldest son, Ashwathanarayana Sastry. Even now, one or two families live there.

Kashipathy Sastry, it is believed, had sold a portion of the land lying vacant in his sprawling Agrahara to the relatives of Tipu Sultan. One Ali Khan had taken the land promising to give Jodi gramas (two villages) to Sastry, a promise which was not fulfilled. Even today, Muslim families live close to the Kashipathy Agrahara on Rahmania Street and around. There was also a palace, which was popularly known as ‘Tipu’s Palace’ facing the Chamaraja Double Road, a place up to which the Agrahara extended originally.

Being a rich man (Sowcar), Kashipathy Sastry was lending money to scholars who approached him at the time of their needs and many of them were prominent personalities like Kunigala Ramasastry, a highly respected scholarly person of Sastry’s period. It is said, even the Maharaja had borrowed money from Kashipathy Sastry.

Ramothsava celebrations in Mysuru way back in 1885

Kashipathy Sastry had a good collection of books, many of which related to music as music ran in the family’s blood. His brother Narasimha Sastry’s son, Sundara Sastry (1855-1935), was both an accomplished Veena Vidwan of the traditional Mysuru style and a vocalist of repute. He was the first music teacher in Maharani’s High School and also the senior Asthana Vidwan in the court of Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV. He was a great devotee of Lord Rama having received Sri Ramataraka Mantropadesha. He launched Ramothsava celebrations and music performances for the first time in Mysuru in his house on the Geetha Road in Chamarajapuram in about 1885 and conducted with religious regularity every year. Reputed musicians offered music seva during the celebrations.

After Sundara Sastry breathed his last in 1935, the tradition of organising Ramothsava and music performances was continued by his children and his close associate Subrahmanya Sastry. In memory of the revered musician, who was also a Vaggeyakara, the Sundara Rama Mandira, now called Aralikatte Rama Mandira, adjacent to which stands a ‘Peepul’ tree, in Chamarajapuram, was built and Ramothsava music performances were conducted every year till recently in its premises.

Sundara Sastry led a saintly life like Saint Tyagaraja, singing songs in praise of Lord Rama, including his compositions in Kannada, Sanskrit and Telugu numbering over 40. His descendant, Karthik Lakshminarayana, who is also a musician, is making efforts to trace the compositions composed by Sundara Sastry.

Like Sundara Sastry’s compositions, it is not known what happened to the wealth Kashipathy Sastry had accumulated. Only one or two small heirlooms, like a silver Ganesha figure and a Sri Chakra Yantra, are with his descendants, who worship it daily.

An inscription at Vijayapura

There is mention of a Kashipathy Sastry in an inscription belonging to the 19th century. The inscription of October 13, 1855, found at Vijayapura in T. Narasipur taluk mentions one Kashipathy Subba Sastry and says he belongs to Koundinyasa Gothra of Apasthambha Sutra Yajushakadhyayi.

The Kannada inscription recorded in the Epigraphia Carnatica Vol. 5, Page number 549, belongs to the period of Krishnaraja Wadiyar III. It says when Krishnaraja Wadiyar was on the throne at Mahisuru Nagara and adds the name of Kashipathy Subba Sastry. It is not known whether this Subba Sastry was related to Kashipathy Sastry of the Kashipathy Agrahara fame.

The post An Agrahara by a Palace Astrologer appeared first on Star of Mysore.

By Gouri Satya, Sr. Journalist

A prominent road in Mandi Mohalla is called Sawday Road. It leads from the Mission Hospital main entrance in Sayyaji Rao Road and links Abba Road near the St. Philomena’s Church. The Church is also located on the same Sawday Road. It goes further and links the junction at Hyder Ali Road that takes towards Mahadevapura.

Many Wesleyan Missionaries served in Mysore from the very first day of their arrival in the then Princely State. A few of them became popular by taking an active interest in the social life of the city, engaging themselves in welfare and other activities. They earned the gratitude of the rulers with their timely help and dedicated service and gained their support as well.

G.W. Sawday was one among such missionaries. He was among the few missionaries who served for a record period of 64 years till his death in 1944. His service for the cause of education and health and the welfare of the poor and neglected won him gratitude and laurels. He is the only missionary who can be credited with many landmarks to his memory in Mysore.

George William Sawday

Born in England on March 10, 1854, George William Sawday was the youngest of six children. After his education, he was accepted to serve the Wesleyan Methodist Ministry in 1873. He came to Bangalore as a Wesleyan Missionary on November 28, 1877, at a time when the Mission needed more missionaries for its activities. He was 22 then and joined the Mysore staff soon after.

Soon after joining Mysore staff, Sawday was assigned to Tumkur to look after an orphanage. Subsequently, he was deputed to Mysore, which became his home for the next six decades, where he lived and served the community. After coming to Mysore, he married Sarah Tort, who was born in Worchester, England. She was 23. Their marriage  took place in the English Chapel in Bangalore. They had seven children, three sons and four daughters.

About his arrival in Mysore, Sawday says, “I first came to the Mysore State in the year 1876, sixty-four years ago, and except for six years spent in England, have ever since been in close touch with Mysore affairs. It has been to me a great honour, and a very great pleasure, to be at times brought into somewhat close contact with the members of the Royal House of Mysore.”

Service during famine

When Sawday arrived in Mysore, the first stage of the great famine was sweeping across the State. Within a year, it became severe. The failure of the monsoon for two successive years, led to the terrible famine (1877-78) lasting for over three years continuously. There was a serious shortage of food, fodder and water. It caused great havoc in the State, took away the lives of hundreds of people and the cattle. The death toll was so huge it accounted for one-fourth of the population in the State. Many children were parentless and they needed immediate care and attention.

People hit by the famine desperately needed help. It did not matter who offered them help. Seeing great suffering all around, the Wesleyan Missionary rose to the occasion. It took up many relief activities and began to serve the suffering poor and save their lives. The Maharaja’s Government alone was not in a position to face the mighty task of meeting the requirements of food and shelter of the famine-hit. It was at this critical juncture, the Wesleyan Missionary stepped forward to support the Government. 

The Government was also looking for sharing the task of caring for the orphans to Societies whose credentials and resources were found satisfactory. Christian Missionaries stood to these orphans as local parents. Soon after his arrival, Sawday too joined the Missionaries in providing relief to the suffering in Mysore City.

25,000 orphans in relief camps

Intensive efforts by the Government and service-minded organisations resulted in about 25,000 orphans being accommodated in the relief camps. Of these orphans, around 50 boys and girls were sent to Tumkur for care. Here, they were received by Sawday who accommodated them in the Christian Home. He established an orphanage, where many of the orphans were trained in agriculture.

Soon after, he was appointed as Superintendent for the Circuit. He established several schools, including the Fort Girls’ School and the Girls’ Schools at Sira. Both he and his wife took deep interest in the work of the orphanage they had established for the orphans. Much of their work was amongst the poor and socially neglected class. They toiled day and night to help the poor and the parentless children.

He donned the role of a farmer, builder, mechanic, rope-maker and schoolmaster by turns, while his wife cared for the women and the girls’ schools. She was a constant helper in her husband’s work. The orphaned boys were trained as farmers, weavers, smiths, carpenters, and some as teachers and catechists. There were 600 or 700 children in the vernacular schools of which 200 or 300 were under his care in the schools he had established.

Back to England and return

All this work put too much pressure on Sawday and his wife. The orphanage, with its 130 boys, proved a great strain on Sawday’s resources. By February 1894, both of them suffered serious health problems. Added to this, they had lost their two children. This compelled them to return to England. The return to England turned tragic for Sawday. His wife, Sarah Trot Curnock, died on July 4, 1895, at the age of 42, in London.

Sawday decided to return to Mysore but soon after visited England again in 1898 as part of his mission to raise funds for the hospital and a school in Mysore. Queen Victoria, who was also the Empress of India, donated funds to set up a girls’ school in Mysore. Returning to Mysore in 1900, Sawday completed the construction of the Victoria Girls’ School on the Sayyaji Rao Road in 1903, now located in Nazarbad.

He also turned his attention to the construction of the Holdsworth Memorial Hospital to the memory of Mary Calvert Holdsworth, who had laid the plans for the hospital. Sawday took up the plans and with his skill and devotion made the hospital “a home of compassion” and fulfilled Mary Calvert’s aspiration to build a hospital in Mysore, where she was serving the Mission. This he could accomplish with the money he had raised in England.

The construction was completed in 1906. The hospital was hailed as “one of his greatest and important contributions to the Mysore citizenry.” Because of his labour and extraordinary efficiency, it became one of the largest and best-equipped Mission Hospitals in India in the later years. Sawday also used the donation given by his sister to establish the Mary Calvert boarding home in 1906 in Nazarbad.

Social service in real terms

Besides Mysore and Tumkur, Sawday worked in Mandya, Chamarajanagar and its surrounding places. He purchased lands in those places and built orphanages, boarding homes, schools, hospitals besides prayer halls. He authored a book, ‘Some Memories of the Royal House of Mysore’, and it was printed and published by the Wesley Press and Publishing House, Mysore, in 1941.

Sawday also managed reading rooms and places of worship, supervised the construction of housing for Indian Ministers. He established “Sawday Fund” to help pastors after their retirement.

Sawday was instrumental in constructing a church at Idgah, now Tilak Nagar, which was later dedicated to him. The Sawday Memorial Church was among the churches constructed by the Wesleyan Missionaries in Mysore. The Sawday Church, now part of the Church of South India (CSI), was constructed in 1924, close to the Mission Hospital.

Recognising his services, the British monarch conferred on him the prestigious Kaisar-I-Hind title in 1923. The title and the gold medal were an official recognition of his public service in India. After his retirement in 1931, Sawday became a supernumerary and returned to England the next year in 1932.

But he returned to Mysore soon after to continue his work till the end. Even at that age, he continued to be very active in the district affairs of the Mission and in particular concerning the Holdsworth Hospital that was dear to him. Tall, well-built and friendly, he had cordial relations with the Maharaja, Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV, who helped him in constructing schools and hospitals.

He was the Secretary of the Mysore District Evangelistic Band for over 50 years. The ‘Sawday House’ on Vani Vilasa Road of Lakshmipuram, a heritage structure, was his residence, where he lived with his wife and children, who were born there. The bungalow was a gift by the Maharaja.

Tribute to yeoman service

Sawday passed away on September 16, 1944, in Mysore at the age of 89. Thousands of people turned up for his funeral at the St. Bartholomew’s Church Cemetery. A church was also constructed in Mandya, as a tribute to his yeoman service to the society and was dedicated to his memory. The C.S.I. Sawday Memorial Church was constructed in 1924 there. The churches he built in Bengaluru and elsewhere were named in his honour.

Rev. Sawday served diligently in Mysore for more than 60 years. His greatest and important contribution to the people of Mysore was the Holdsworth Memorial Hospital, popularly known as “Mission Hospital”. The hospital stands as a great memorial to his dedicated life and untiring efforts in serving the needy. He built it collecting subscriptions and saw to its regular maintenance. The royal family lent its valuable support with generous donations and saw that it was placed on a sound financial footing. Through his service and the three memorials in Mysore City — the Sawday Church, the Sawday House and the Sawday Road — the servant of Christ stands tall among the Wesleyan Missionaries who served in Mysore.

The post A missionary who left his footprints appeared first on Star of Mysore.

By Gouri Satya, Sr. Journalist

[Pics. by M.N. Lakshminarayana Yadav]

Can a decent living house be built by spending just Rs. 5,000? One may deride such a proposal or may mock such a project. But this was proved possible in Mysuru during the reign of Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar. What’s more, these model houses are continuing to serve the families living there, who feel happy they have a roof over their head. 

The old concept of Agrahara continued even during the reign of Nalwadi although it had been given up in favour of Purams and Mohallas to meet the housing needs of the increasing population. Extensions were needed to be built on modern lines and hence focus had turned towards the creation of Purams and Mohallas than ordinary one-stretch Agraharas with a limited number of houses.

The Agraharas which came up during the period of Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV were significant because they showcased low-cost houses needed to be built for the poor. Two Agraharas came up with this concept and they were the Sreenivasan Agrahara and the Rajaram Agrahara, in the southern part of the city. The two Agraharas were not limited to just 20 or 21 houses as those created during the period of Krishnaraja Wadiyar III. More houses were built there, keeping in mind the changing requirements of the residents.

How did the concept materialise?

The concept of these ‘model’ Agraharas was devised by M.A. Sreenivasan (1897-1998), who had an illustrious career in the Mysore Civil Service. He occupied many posts in the princely State of Mysore, including the posts of President of the Mysore City Municipal Council and Chairman of the City Improvement Trust Board (CITB), the present Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA).

The then Dewan, Sir Mirza Ismail, was visiting Mysore regularly and going round the city once or twice a month inspecting its different parts. Sreenivasan was accompanying the Dewan, also on horseback, during such inspections. As a result, he came to know of the problems people were facing in the city. He also saw the very unhygienic conditions in which the poor lived in the slums.

“I had not imagined that a fair city contained so many hovels and slums hiding behind narrow and blind alleys. The slums were a pitiful sight: Men, women, children, families of three, four, five huddled in small, woebegone huts and shacks, roofs covered with matting, gunnies, broken corrugated sheets, in huts with not a chink or opening for ventilation, except for the door, with access only to a distant water tap, a far-off latrine that was over-used, soiled and dilapidated; where the air was foul and stray, mangy curs abounded, ” he writes in his book, “The Last Mysore Pradhan – The Memoires of M.A. Sreenivasan”, his autobiography earlier titled, “Of the Raj, Maharajas and Me.”

 A survey had revealed that not less than 3,000 families lived in such single-room huts without ventilation. It was so dark inside that an oil lamp was lit even during the day. In one such shack lived a golden mace bearer who heralded the entrance of the Maharaja into the Durbar Hall and stood behind the throne during the Nazar, “beautifully dressed and turbaned.”

Moved by their pitiable condition, Sreenivasan persuaded Prince Jayachamaraja Wadiyar, who was sitting with him at a meeting of the Municipal Council as part of his administrative training, to accompany him to the slum. The future Maharaja was astonished at what he saw.

Seeing the wretchedness of the slums and the misery of the inhabitants, Sreenivasan was convinced that “a clean home, however humble, is a nursery of health and character, and that money spent on the poor is a sound investment in good citizenship.” He made a beginning in building low-cost model houses drawing inspiration from the old concept of Agraharas to serve as models for a comprehensive rehousing and housing scheme for the city. Houses were built around an open quadrangle adjoining the Karohatti Road, now called Ramanuja Road, in 1936.

Rs. 6-12 rent

 He explains each house had a built area of 500 sq. ft. with a tiled roof, bedroom, bathroom, a chimneyed kitchen, dining space, latrine, a water tap, and two electric lights. A special feature of the house was a pial, a long seat by the side of the entrance, where the occupant receives visitors or relax, which could also serve as a bed on occasions.

The houses were owned by the Municipality and allotted initially for a period of 20 years. The monthly rent or payment included instalments towards the cost of the house, enabling the allottee to become owner at the end of the period. The monthly rent compared to rent elsewhere in the city was lower. It was as low as Rs. 6 to Rs. 12 per month.

Initially, 40 houses were built in an Agrahara at a cost of Rs. 5,000 each — “a figure that may seem a myth today” and more so now when the construction cost has sky-rocketed. The Agrahara was inaugurated on the Ugadi day of 1938 by Yuvaraja Kanteerava Narasaraja Wadiyar, father of Jayachamaraja Wadiyar. The Agrahara was later named “Sreenivasan Agrahara” in recognition of Sreenivasan’s dedicated service to the city.

The Sreenivasan Agrahara scheme caught up and aroused a great deal of interest. V.D. Rajaram Mudaliar, a philanthropist, came forward with a donation of Rs. 15,000 to the Municipality for the charitable purpose of construction of an Agrahara for the benefit of the low-paid officials working in the civic body.

The Municipality undertook the work and built a group of low-cost cottages and named the Agrahara after the philanthropist who was honoured with the title ‘Dharmaprakasha’ by the Maharaja. Rao Bahadur D. Banumiah was another philanthropist, who made a similar contribution.

Others donated equipment for playground and radio sets for being installed in the quadrangles, which also served as parks. Taking Sreenivasan Agrahara as an example, over 100 houses came up by the end of 1938. These low-income group houses were built under several funds, including the munificent donation made to the Municipality for the construction of low-cost houses for the poor by Yuvaraja Narasimharaja Wadiyar.

The Rajaram Agrahara that came up was an example of close collaboration, Sreenivasan writes and adds, “It fills my heart with pleasure every time I see it, the block of houses built around a small park and play-field of Ramanuja Road, and the neighbouring Agraharas that were modelled on it.”

Writing about these Agraharas with model houses, Sreenivasan says “the Rajaram Agrahara was not large or pretentious. However, the idea behind it deserves wider recognition and implementation, more so today when schemes of social work are the talk of many high and distinguished platforms. The idea was to make a philanthropic gift, serving a double or triple purpose.”

The houses were owned by the Municipality and let, at low sub-economic rents, to the deserving houseless. The rent from the houses, after deducting expenses incurred in respect and upkeep, and in rent-collection, was paid by the Municipality towards the maintenance of the City’s Maternity and Child Welfare Centres which served the nursing mothers and children.

Houses impressed West Bengal Minister

Sreenivasan has an interesting incident to narrate about the Agraharas he built. It happened eight years later when he was attending a meeting convened by the Central Government on housing. Ministers from various States were invited to attend the meeting. The official report placed before it referred to the houses built in Mysore by the initiative taken by Sreenivasan.

Sir Ramaswamy Mudaliar, who was the Chairman of the meeting, invited the Mysore delegates to speak on their model housing project. At this moment, there was a loud guffaw. It was from West Bengal Minister Suhrawardy.

Pointing to the report, he observed that a zero had inadvertently been omitted from the figure given as the cost of each house. But, before Sreenivasan could speak, Ramaswamy Mudaliar intervened and told Suhrawardy that he had himself visited the houses and the figure of Rs. 5,000 was correct. Mudaliar suggested the West Bengal Minister visit Mysore and see the Agraharas for himself.

 This is how the two Agraharas — Sreenivasan Agrahara and Rajaram Agrahara — and other model houses around them came up in the southern part of the city. The houses more or less remain in the same shape, possibly with minor changes to suit the needs of those living there now.

These houses continue to serve as a model to our city planners on how houses can be built at low cost. Perhaps, authorities and developers can draw inspiration and provide houses for the roofless poor at affordable cost at a time when construction cost has gone beyond the reach of not only the poor but also of the middle class.

M.A. Sreenivasan had an illustrious career

Born in 1897 in a reputed family of scholars and priests settled around the temple town of Srirangapatna, who included two historic personalities, Tirumal Row and Narayan Row, Pradhans of the period of Tipu Sultan, M.A. Sreenivasan had an illustrious career in the Civil Service of the then State of Mysore headed by Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV, commencing from 1918.

After holding various posts, he rose to become a Minister in the princely State under Dewan Sir N. Madhava Rau and then became Dewan of the Princely State of Gwalior under Maharaja Jiyajirao Scindia.

 He served as Mysore’s Trade Commissioner in London and later on held the offices of Controller of Supplies and Controller of Purchases in the Government of India. While working as a Minister in the Maharaja’s Council of Ministers, he founded the University of Agricultural Sciences at Hebbal in Bengaluru. He represented the erstwhile Princely State of Gwalior as a member of the Constituent Assembly during 1947-48.

 After his retirement, he became the first Indian Chairman of the John Taylor Company, which was mining gold at Kolar Gold Fields, served as Chairman of Consolidated Coffee Limited and Coffee Lands and Industries, Director of Air India and other companies. He was also the Founder-President of the Greater Mysore Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

 After a fruitful life spanning over a century, Sreenivasan passed away in 1998 at Bengaluru at the age of 101 years. Sreenivasan’s son late M.A. Parthasarathy was a former Chairman of the Bangalore Urban Arts Commission, whose daughter, Devaki Jain, is a reputed Indian economist and a Padma Bhushan awardee. Sreenivasan Jain of NDTV-fame is one of her two sons.

The post Can you imagine building a house for just Rs. 5,000? appeared first on Star of Mysore.

By Gouri Satya, Sr. Journalist

A look at the growth of Mysuru reveals an interesting feature of how the city expanded from Agraharas and Keris to Mohallas, Purams and Extensions. Initially, it was the construction of just one road with a few houses and as the population began to rise, construction of Mohallas, Purams and Extensions were taken up with roads and crosses.

At the time of shifting of the headquarters to Mysuru from Srirangapatna, the erstwhile capital was in a devastating condition. The Fort and the Palace had been demolished. The situation was so bad that there was no proper structure where the installation of Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar III could be conducted. As a result, the city had to be rebuilt, including a suitable residential place for the newly-installed King and his family.

The rebuilding of the capital city began after the restoration of the kingdom to the Mysuru royal family. From then on, Mysuru began to expand, adding new areas.

Initially, it began with the construction of houses within the Fort and later outside its four walls. New Keris and Agraharas began to appear. Besides Krishnaraja Wadiyar III, even his queens took interest in constructing Agraharas of 21 houses and donated them to deserving persons of the Brahmin community. These Keris and Agraharas came up in the then existing Fort Mohalla, Devaraja Mohalla, Krishnaraja Mohalla, Lashkar Mohalla and Mandi Mohalla, resulting in their expansion.

As the city began to witness a rise in population and the need for more houses began, the development moved from the construction of one-street Agraharas to Purams and Extensions like Lakshmipuram, Saraswathipuram, Chamarajapuram, Vani Vilasa Puram, Jayalakshmipuram, Chamundipuram (which includes Hosakeri and Chamundi Extension), Vidyaranyapuram, and Nagaras of a larger scale like Vishweshwara Nagara, Kuvempunagara, Vijayanagara and J.P. Nagara. New layouts with new names began to be developed on all four sides of the city, private developers also entering the field as the city progressed.

Subbarayadasara Agrahara

An interesting feature in this expansion is the contribution made by a few prominent personalities who evinced interest in constructing new Agraharas, apart from the rulers and their queens. Perhaps, Subbarayadasa surnamed Gopaladasa was the first such person to construct an Agrahara. According to records, this saintly person formed an Agrahara in 1836 and gifted it to Brahmin priests.

Formed in his name, the Agrahara was named ‘Subbarayadasara Agrahara’ and it was opposite the Prasanna Venkataramanaswamy Temple. Subbarayadasa made this Agrahara for ‘increasing the merit of the king, Krishnaraja Wadiyar III, and for the accruement of merit of his forefathers, of himself and his elder brother, Sinappadasa.’

The Agrahara had nine houses built for accommodating the priests of the temple. It included a feeding house (Anna Chatra) at its beginning. The land for the construction of the Agrahara was given by the Maharaja, who also had granted Vrittis of six varahas a person to three priests, Venkappachar, Venkatarama Sastri and Krishnadasa, who conducted daily worship in the temple and other residents, for their livelihood.

Wooden Chariot 

Opposite the eastern entrance to the temple stood a shaded structure to station the wooden chariot used for taking out the idol of the deity in procession through the streets. There was also a pond with an Anjaneya Temple and it was named ‘Srinivasa Pushkarani’ and a garden as well. The grove provided flowers and other requirements for the daily worship of the deities in the main temple and in its small shrines.

It may be noted that the Subbarayadasara Agrahara came up 15 years after the construction of the Krishnavilasa Agrahara with 20 houses which was built in 1821, along with the Lakshmivilasa Agrahara, which was opposite to it and Ramavilasa Agrahara. It was later the Jaganmohan Palace (1861), Maharani’s School (1889), the Dewan’s Bungalow of Sir Seshadri Iyer, which houses the Commercial Tax offices now, and other structures came up. 

The temple has two entrances, one facing the east and the other to the South, facing the historic Maharani’s School. This was probably the first Agrahara to be constructed by a private person in Mysuru.

About Subbarayadasa

The highly revered Madhwa saint, a protector in all respects (sarvavishayadallu samrakshaka), was an officer in the Palace. He lived in the house, which was later converted into the temple of Prasanna Venkataramana, enjoying the ‘bhatamanya’ and ‘vritti’ at Anandur previously granted by the mother of Krishnaraja Wadiyar III, dowager queen Lakshmammanni. 

Popularly known as ‘Mysore Subbarayadasa’, he was held in high reverence for his religious practices and pious acts. A devotee of Prasanna Venkatesha, Subbarayadasa is believed to have performed many pious deeds and miracles during the time of Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar III. In recognition of his pious deeds, the Maharaja conferred on him several gifts and honours, including the piece of land for the construction of the Agrahara. The Maharaja had also made a payment of 3,680 ‘Kanthiraya Hana’ in 1843 for the feeding house Subbarayadasa was running at Bilikere.

When plague epidemic broke out in Mysuru and many people died, Lord Venkatesha is said to have appeared before Subbarayadasa like a boy in his dream and told him that the disease would disappear and the desires would be fulfilled if he distributed three ‘Angaras’, one ‘Kanthiraya Hana’, the then currency, and ‘Mantrakshate’ (sanctified rice grains) to the people in the town from the next day. Acting according to the direction he had received in his dream, Subbarayadasa distributed angara (sacred ash applied on forehead) and tirtha (sacred water) for nine days without food or sleep.

When subsequently Subbarayadasa decided to go on a pilgrimage, the Maharaja invited him to the Palace and honoured him with valuable presents. He also made gifts to the deity Venkataramanaswamy. Subbarayadasa undertook the pilgrimage in the palanquin Mummadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar had given to him besides money.

After returning from his pilgrimage, he presented the sacred water of the Ganges he had brought with him to the Maharaja. Pleased with this, the Maharaja got the temple constructed for Lord Prasanna Venkataramanaswamy in the house of Subbarayadasa in Krishnavilasa Agrahara with a tower, a pond (Srinivasa Pushkarani), a Mantapa, a garden, etc. He also got a chariot made for the temple for the procession and gave a grant of Rs. 100 a month for the festivals to be conducted. 

After his house became a temple dedicated to Lord Venkatesha in 1825, Subbarayadasa built the Agrahara to provide houses for the priests in 1836.

The Lord Venkatesha Temple

Inside the temple, there is a three feet high ‘Bhakta Vigraha’ of Subbarayadasa with an inscription by its sides giving his name and other details. The Madhwa saint is shown as though giving away everything that he has. He carries musical instrument Thamburi and in his left hand a water vessel from the sprout of which falls a libation of water in the act of giving everything he can to the God he held close to his heart. A statue of his brother, Sinappadasa is also seen in the temple. The ‘Brindavana’ of Subbarayadasa is located within the premises.

On the slab above the doorway of the Anjaneya shrine, the inscription dated 1836 gives elaborate details of the piety, charities made to the God, and long journeys undertaken by Subbarayadasa all over India. Two stones fixed to the wall on either side of the entrance to the garbhagriha, narrate about Subbarayadasa and the grant of 3680 varahas the Maharaja had ordered to be paid from the Palace Treasury by Lingarajaiya Arasu to the feeding house run by Subbarayadasa at Bilikere. Pleased over the manner in which the temple and other facilities had come up, Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar III had the inscriptions installed.

Chitra Mantapa

A significant feature of the temple is the Mantapa above the Anjaneya shrine. This unique ‘Chitra Mantapa’ is fully decorated with Mysuru-style paintings of Mummadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar’s era. The interior four walls of the painted hall are fully covered with frescos of 12 Maharajas of Mysuru mentioning their names and period of their reign, maps of Mysuru and Srirangapatna and sketches of pilgrim places. 

There is also a wooden panel showing sage Vyasa seated on the coils under the canopy of a five-hooded serpent, attended by Madhwacharya, Garuda, Bhima and Anjaneya. In the lower portion are the standing figures of Dewan Purnaiah, Krishnaraja Wadiyar III, Subbarayadasa and Sinappadasa.

The temple and the Agrahara stand as a mark of testimony to the benevolent act by two notable personalities of the period — a king and savant. While Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar III patronised Subbarayadasa, the Madhwa saint made his home a temple and built an Agrahara and offered everything to his patron deity deciding not to have anything for himself.

Standing in memory of this devoted person, the temple adds to the significance of Krishnavilasa Road, which also has the historic Parakala Mutt at the commencement of the Agrahara.

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By Gouri Satya, Sr. Journalist

A small by-lane in the Fort Mohalla, also known by its old name Khille Mohalla, is called S.N. Pandit Street. This small by-lane near Shankara Mutt in Mysuru has a hidden tale of interest.  This has been recorded by renowned composer and musician Mysore Vasudevacharya in his book, “Nenapugalu.”

S.N. Pandit Street is a cross road to Shankara Mutt Road in Khille Mohalla. Pandit was a reputed Ayurvedic Physician, one among those in Mysore who prepared Ayurvedic medicines as prescribed in old Ayurvedic texts and dispensed them to patients. Mysore had many such traditional Ayurvedic Pandits. 

When modern science was yet to advance and Allopathic medicines were yet to come to the market, diseases were frequent and minor ailments were common. People had to depend on traditional medicines like Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and the likes. To help people overcome these health issues, many had specialised in making Ayurvedic medicines. 

While some of these Pandits were popular for their medicines, many others were known for their treatment. These products had become household names, so also the Pandits. People opted to buy medicines of a particular brand finding those medicines helpful. This profession had continued from one generation to the next. We find some families continuing this inherited profession in Mysuru and their Ayurvedic medicines continue to be popular, not only here but also outside.

For instance, there was Palyada Venkatachala Pandit, who was famous for his Kasthuri pills. People chose to buy only that particular brand for giving a pill or two to lactating mothers or children. B.V. Pandit of Nanjangud was known for his famous tooth-powder. When there were no branded tooth-pastes like today, B.V. Pandit’s Nanjangud tooth powder was the most sought after. 

The herbal tooth-powder was available in almost all shops. Nambishan, who resided in Nazarbad, was an Ayurvedic Pandit of the Kerala School of Ayurveda. Similarly, there were other Ayurvedic Pandits, including those who worked in the Government Ayurveda College and Hospital. The Mysore Municipality had an Ayurvedic Pandit as one its staff in the medical section. It was also operating a few Ayurvedic dispensaries where medicines were given free of cost.

One among such reputed Ayurvedic Pandits was S.N. Pandit, whose full name was Subba Narasimha Pandit. His parents were Narasimha Bhatta, also called Shamanna and Venktalakshamma. Born in 1884, S.N. Pandit initially worked as a teacher in the Wesleyan Mission School. Taking interest in Ayurveda, he went to many Ayurvedic Pandits taking patients along with him and in the process began to know their methods of treatment and also the medicines they dispensed. 

Expertise in roots 

As his interest in the field developed further, he began to study books related to the subject and gain expertise in the use of roots and herbs chiefly to treat ailments which could not be treated by other branches. To expand his knowledge and to know the practices followed in other places, he went to Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra and lived there for some time, learning their ways of treatment. After returning to Mysuru, he began to make a comparative study between Allopathy, Homeopathy and other systems of treatment and acquired knowledge of both modern and ancient systems. 

These studies made him realise that Ayurveda and Unani systems were more beneficial than the chemical-based Allopathy. Supported by the Aryavysya and Ursu community members, he opened a Vaidyashala in 1922 at Lansdowne Building, now in neglected condition. He named it ‘Mysore Ayurvedic Pharmacy’ and earned fame as an expert Pandit, both in treating patients and selling his own Ayurvedic preparations. He also wrote a book on Ayurveda in 1923. In his last days, Narasimha Pandit took to Sanyasa under Yadathore Swamiji and assumed the name ‘Vimalananda Theertha.’ His end came in 1947. His great grandson, Karthik Pandit and his wife Ranjani Karthik, are continuing more than a century-old profession of his forefathers. 

The honest Shirastedar of Maharaja’s Palace

S.N. Pandit lived in an old tiled house in one of the by-lanes of Shankara Mutt Road in Fort Mohalla. Built in the traditional Mysuru style, his house existed almost till recently. This by-lane, though called S.N. Pandit Street now, has an interesting background. 

This street had a different name and was called ‘Ramakrishnappa Street’ a few decades ago. Ramakrishnappa was a Shirastedar in the Ambavilasa of the Maharaja’s Palace. Every one respected him because of his honesty and the simple and traditional life he led. A slim personality, even Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar III respected him as he was sincere in his duties. 

He was also generous and never refused help to anyone who approached him. He had kept small changes in packets and whenever someone visited his house he received him cordially and offered ‘thamboola’ with ‘dakshine’ according to his merit. An unassuming personality, he had chosen a simple and honest life and had even politely rejected offers of honours or money made by the Maharaja. Finally, the Maharaja had persuaded him to accept a small box-type carriage for his visits to the Palace. Krishnappa had reluctantly accepted the ‘pettige gaadi’. 

The elderly Ramakrishnappa had a habit of not standing up and offering salutations (Namaskara) to any person except the Maharaja in the Palace. This attitude of Ramakrishnappa was irritating other senior employees in the Palace. They felt that Ramakrishnappa was discourteous to them. However, they had no courage to take up this matter with the Maharaja as Krishnaraja Wadiyar III had high regard for Ramakrishnappa. Finally, one day an officer took courage and broached the subject with the Maharaja. 

The Maharaja’s reply was, “Ramakrishnappa is an elderly and saintly person. It is we (the Maharaja) who have told him not to take the trouble of getting up before any other person.” Stunned by the Maharaja’s indirect admonishment, the person who had complained to the Maharaja, had to keep his mouth shut. That was the kind of respect the Maharaja had for Ramakrishnappa.

Conspiracy to defame Shirastedar

Now helpless, the employees were waiting for an opportunity to catch Ramakrishnappa in some embarrassing situation. One such opportunity arose when there was a small discrepancy in one of the accounts of the Palace. It was showing shortage of funds. Not to miss the opportunity, they approached the Maharaja immediately and complained to him that Ramakrishnappa had taken away Palace money. 

Though the Maharaja did not believe them, to make sure, he called Ramakrishnappa and enquired about the matter. Upset that the Maharaja was suspecting his integrity, Ramakrishnappa immediately took the treasury key he had with him and told the Maharaja, “Mahaswami, here is the treasury key. This person is not the type who would aspire for someone else’s money.” So saying, he placed the key before the Maharaja and after bowing his head to him left the Palace immediately. 

The Maharaja had not expected such a reaction from his loyal worker. He knew that Ramakrishnappa was a personification of honesty and would not touch even a speck of dust of a window in the Palace, let alone money belonging to the treasury. After a few days, it came to light that there was discrepancy in the accounting itself and there was no shortfall as such. The Maharaja was full of remorse for questioning Ramakrishnappa about the shortfall of treasury money.

Maharaja and Saligrama ‘King’

The Maharaja immediately sent words to Ramakrishnappa asking him to come to the Palace. When the messenger came to his house, Ramakrishnappa was wearing a short dhoti and was having a sacred Saligrama on his palm. Holding the Saligrama in his hand, Ramakrishnappa told the messenger, “What relation I have now with the Palace? My king resides in this Saligrama. Please convey my folded-hand salutations to the Prabhu and tell him that I will no longer step into the Palace.” 

The servant returned to the Palace and informed the Maharaja accordingly. In turn, the Maharaja asked his messenger to go back and tell Ramakrishnappa that his house is at a very low level to enter through the door. “If I go there, the lintel at the entrance will hit my head.” Indirectly, indicating that a King would not bow his head before any one, let alone a Palace employee.

Now, it was the turn of Ramakrishnappa to regret that he had misunderstood his Mahaprabhu. Hearing these words from the servant, Ramakrishnappa reflected in himself, “after all, he is my King. Should I be so much anguished?” He went to the Palace and stood humbly before the Maharaja with folded hands and without lifting his head up. Seeing Ramakrishnappa back, Maharaja remarked, “Ayya, Ramakrishnappa! Don’t be so much vexed. I am intending to adopt a boy. Please don’t swear in your anger. You are a white-robed ‘Sanyasi.’ This Palace is yours.  Please take back the key,” the Maharaja appealed to his honest servant. Listening to the kind words of his Prabhu, Ramakrishnappa’s heart melted with compassion and took the key back.

S.N. Pandit Galli

The house in which Ramakrishnappa lived was purchased by Ayurvedic Pandit S.N. Pandit years later. He, his children and grand-children lived in the same old house without making any changes except for power connection and lights. As S.N.Pandit became popular as an Ayurvedic Pandit, the narrow by-lane (Galli) gradually came to be identified as “S.N.Pandit Galli.” 

Mysore had such many such legendary personalities during the reign of the Maharajas, who had distinguished themselves while serving their master and helping the people. Among them are Ramakrishnappa and Narasimha Pandit who have carved out a name, one for his loyal service to the Maharaja and the other for his dedicated service to the cause of Ayurveda.

‘Jaganmohaka…’ becomes ‘Jaganmohana Bangale’

It was Ramakrishnappa who was responsible for the Jaganmohan Palace to be christened. When he accompanied the Maharaja to see the newly built Palace, Krishnaraja Wadiyar asked him what name he thought would be ideal for the newly-built Palace. “What can I suggest, Mahaswamy. It is Jaganmohaka”, Ramakrishnappa remarked. “Good, let us call it “Jaganmohana Bangale”, a happy Maharaja responded. That is how the century-old Palace came to be called.

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By Gouri Satya, Sr. Journalist

There is an Agrahara in Mysuru with a name that sounds somewhat strange. Though this is an old Agrahara, like the other Agraharas in city, its name does not match with the names of other Agraharas. And that is Kathvadipura Agrahara as generally called though its actual name is ‘Kathvadipurada Agrahara.’ This Agrahara is in Fort Mohalla.

Except for three or four Agraharas, most of the other Agraharas in Mysuru have the names of the wives of the Maharajas. They are either constructed by the queens themselves or built in their honour. Only a few Agraharas built in the later years have names not related to them like the Sreenivasan Agrahara and the Ramachandra Agrahara. But how did this Agrahara, with a distinctly different name not related to any of these, get its name?  

From Nanjangud to Mysore

Krishnaraja Wadiyar III built many Agraharas in Mysuru. He also established Agraharas elsewhere in his domain. One such Agrahara was built in Kathvadipura village on the banks of the river Kapila in Nanjangud taluk. The Agrahara with seventy-four houses was established on Sunday, August 1, 1819. The Maharaja had bestowed these houses to many scholars and ‘Srotriya’ Brahmins. He had also bestowed upon them ‘Vrttis’ for their sustenance. The king had named the Agrahara as ‘Krishnarajendrapura Agrahara.’ Among the beneficiaries was one Rama Sastry, a scholar and ‘Srotriya’ Brahmin. Rama Sastry in turn had given his house and his ‘Vrtti’ to a “selfless and noble individual” father of one Venkatarama Sastry.

It so happened that sometime after these Brahmins had settled down in this newly-built Agrahara, their houses became easy targets for thieves. Frequent thefts began to occur in their houses. The families had to live in fear for their lives and loss of valuables. Helpless, the residents approached their master, the King, and complained to him about the frequent thefts and the losses they were suffering, besides threat to their lives.

In response to their complaints, kind-hearted Krishnaraja Wadiyar III decided to accommodate them in his city itself. Accordingly, he got constructed a new Agrahara to the South-West of the Palace in Mysore and bestowed it to those Brahmins who were apprehensive of living in the new Agrahara in Kathvadipura village. 

Happy they found a safe place to live, the Brahmins migrated from Kathvadipura to the Agrahara newly-built for them in Mysore, near the Palace Fort. The Agrahara came to be called ‘Kathvadipurada Agrahara’, the Agrahara of Kathvadipura. Anyone who visits Fort Mohalla can see this Agrahara continuing to bear the name of this village which exists in Nanjangud taluk. If one closely observes the stone tablet on the walls of this Agrahara, he can see it inscribed there as ‘Kathavadipurada Agrahara’. Many of the residents here continue to be Brahmins. 

This is how the Kathvadipurada Agrahara came into existence in the King’s capital. This benevolent act of the Maharaja was recorded by Rama Sastry, who had gifted both his house and ‘Vrtti to the father of Venkatarama Sastry. 

This Agrahara to the West of Mysore Fort and close to Rama Vilasa Agrahara, Lakshmi Vilasa Agrahara and Krishna Vilasa Agrahara, named in honour of the three queens of Krishnaraja Wadiyar III, must have been constructed between 1819 and 1921. The value of each ‘Vrtti given to the Kathvadipura Agrahara residents was 37 Varahas, the currency which was in circulation during the Maharaja’s reign. The construction of Kathvadipurada Agrahara shows the concern the Maharaja had for his subjects and his timely help when they faced hardship.

Bakshi Basappaji Urs Laya

There is also a ‘Laya’ (Kudure Laya) in the Fort Mohalla having the name of Bakshi Basappaji. It is named ‘Bakshi Basappaji Layada Rasthe’ about which a reference had been made in one of my earlier articles. Probably, this road, where once horse-shoes were being made, was leading to the horse stables of the Bakshi. The Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA), which was constituted in 1903 as the Trust Board, had formed the ‘Bakshi Basappaji Urs Garden Extension’ adjoining the Chamundi Extension. It contained 91 sites and was formed in 1915 at a cost of nearly Rs. 13,000.

Bakshi Basappaji Urs was the brother-in-law of Maharaja Chamaraja Wadiyar. When Chamaraja Wadiyar was married, the Maharaja’s age was fifteen and that of the bride, Kempananjammanni, daughter of Narase Urs of Kalale family, twelve. The Maharaja arrived in front of the Palace for the marriage, after a procession seated on an elephant with his two brothers, Gopala Raj Urs and Subramanyaraj Urs, on either side. The procession passed through the four streets of the Fort of Mysore. It was Bakshi Basappaji Urs who received the bridegroom’s party with all paraphernalia and conducted the Maharaja to the marriage pavilion on the morning of May 26, 1878.

Tragedy strikes Wadiyars

Fate willed that Bakshi Basappaji was to become a witness to the tragic event of the Maharaja’s premature death later. The Bakshi, who was part of the Maharaja’s grand wedding, had to also perform the last rites of Chamaraja Wadiyar when the Maharaja died at an early age in Calcutta in December 1894. Basappaji performed the last rites on behalf of the two sons of the late Maharaja, Princes Krishnaraja Wadiyar and Narasimharaja Wadiyar, who were both of tender years.

While the royal family was still caught in the sad scenario, the Viceroy of India, Lord Elgin, accompanied by the Countess of Elgin and Lady Elizabeth Bruch, visited Mysore. Bakshi Basappaji Urs, then First Assistant to the Resident, the District Superintendent of Police of Civil and Ministry Station, accompanied them to Bangalore on November 19, 1895.

One man many posts

Bakshi held many posts while in service. He was also a Minister and Treasurer of Krishnaraja Wadiyar III. He accompanied the Maharaja during his crucial visit to some places in the kingdom, when there was an outbreak of insurrection in parts of Nagar, Chitradurga, and Bangalore in 1830, and assisted in redressing the grievances of farmers in those places. A discontent of a serious nature had cropped up due to the abuse of the Sharat system and harassment of farmers. It first cropped up in the Nagar division and then spread to a few other places, incited by certain powerful persons, who tried to take advantage of the situation.

To effectively curb the rebellion and resolve the discontent of the farmers, Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar III decided to undertake a personal tour in some of these affected places. Accordingly, he began his tour in December of that year from Channarayapatna. He was accompanied by Bakshi Basappaji Urs and he played a significant role.

Farmer rebellion

During his tour, according to M. Shama Rao, author of ‘Modern Mysore’, the farmers of Kikkeri were seen standing in large numbers on a rising ground armed with swords, sticks and slings and also horns and drums. The British Resident of Mysore, Cassamaijor, who saw this, advised the Maharaja to direct the removal of the instruments which the assembled people had in their possession. 

Basappaji Urs carried out the instructions given to him and also brought ten people to the presence of the Maharaja. “Among them was one Kusappa who had formerly been a Government official but had now placed himself as a leader of the insurgents and this individual was ordered to be detained in custody. The Amildar of Kikkeri was on enquiry found guilty of oppression and the seals of his were accordingly taken away from him. The farmers were assured that a new Amildar would enquire into all their grievances. Some of the principal farmers were then given a repast of milk and rice in a tent and others were supplied with split pulse and jaggery with flattened rice and curds.”

This highlights the crucial role played by Basappaji Urs both during the reign of Krishnaraja Wadiyar III and subsequently of Chamarajendra Wadiyar. The Bakshi’s kins take pride in recalling their relationship with Basappaji Urs.

A street for Amildar: Dawood Khan Road

Now let us go to Lashkar Mohalla to see a street named after an Amildar, who was in the service of the Maharaja’s Government. This street is from the Van Ingen’s house connecting the Five Lights Circle near the Government Guest House. It is named Dawood Khan Street. 

But who is this Dawood Khan? Records say Dawood Khan was an Amildar during the period of Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV. During those days, each taluk had a headman called Amildar. Dawood Khan was one such Amildar. He lived in a house on this street. But the house was sold sometime later and his great-grandson moved to Bengaluru. 

Except for this piece of information, no more details are available about this Dawood Khan and why the street bears his name. Perhaps, Dawood Khan was a popular Amildar and a prominent personality among the Muslims residing here. Hence the street might have become popular by his name.

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