The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu today made an appeal to preserve and promote the grand cultural tradition of India of living together and working together, for the country, the world and the entire humanity in true spirit of the core Indian philosophy of ‘share and care’.

Virtually addressing the concluding ceremony of the centenary celebrations of the Sri Jaya Chamaraja Wadiyar, the 25^th Maharaja of the Kingdom of Mysore, the Vice President called for celebrating the knowledge, wisdom, patriotism and vision of all great rulers and statesmen like Maharaja Jaya Chamaraja Wadiyar who have shaped our history.

Calling Sri Jaya Chamaraja Wadiyar as an able administrator, the Vice President said, “He built one of the strong, self-reliant and progressive states in pre-Independence India”.

Shri Naidu called the Maharaja a democrat at heart and a true people’s ruler who always wanted to remain in touch with his people and ensure the wellbeing of the masses.

It is worth noting that Sri Wadiyar had established a responsible government in the Mysore State by setting up the Constituent Assembly and an interim popular Government with Sri. K.C. Reddy as Chief Minister.

Crediting the Maharaja with leading India’s transition to being a strong democracy and contributing greatly to the unity and integrity of the nation, the Vice President called him a perfect blend of ancient values and the modernity.

Shri Naidu also highlighted that Mysore was the first major State to accept the ‘Instrument of Accession’ after independence and said Sri Jaya Chamaraja Wadiyar possessed qualities of the head and the heart, which made him one of the tallest leaders and most admired rulers of this nation.

“In many ways, he embodied the ideal king like qualities that Chanakya describes in the Artha Shastra”, he said.

Calling Sri Jaya Chamaraja an ardent supporter of entrepreneurship, Shri Naidu said that he made continuous efforts to boost Science & Technology in the country and to develop scientific temper.

The 25^th Maharaja of Mysore is widely respected for the support and encouragement provided towards the establishment of many important institutes of modern India such as Hindustan Aircrafts Ltd. (which subsequently became HAL) at Banguluru, Central Food Technological Research Institute at Mysore, National Tuberculosis Institute in Bangalore and the All India Institute of Speech and Hearing at Mysore, among others.

The Maharaja also carried on his family’s tradition of providing Indian Institutes of Science, Bangalore with funds and Scholarships for running the Institute and occasionally for its expansion, when needed.

The Vice President called Sri Wadiyar a versatile genius and a lifelong learner, who was a noted philosopher, music exponent, political thinker and philanthropist.

He was called the ‘Dakshina Bhoja’ because of his unparalleled patronage to arts, literature and culture, VP said.

Appreciating Sri Jaya Chamaraja’s mastery over Sanskrit language and his outstanding oratory skills, Shri Naidu said his ‘Jaya Chamaraja Grantha Ratna Mala’ series has greatly enriched Kannada language and literature.

The Vice President appealed to everyone that on this auspicious occasion, we should celebrate the timeless Indian values, the rich cultural heritage and along with the spirit of democracy and of people-centred good governance.

Following is the full text of the speech –

I am delighted to be with all of you at the concluding ceremony of the centenary celebrations of the Sri Jaya Chamaraja Wadiyar, the 25^th Maharaja of the Kingdom of Mysore.

It is indeed an opportune moment to remember a remarkable ruler and an able administrator who built a strong and self-reliant state. Mysore was one of the most progressive states in pre-Independence India.

Sri Jaya Chamaraja Wadiyar possessed qualities of the head and the heart, which made him one of the tallest leaders and most admired rulers of this nation. He was greatly respected for his vision, constructive enterprise and generosity of heart.

He was a true people’s ruler who always wanted to remain in touch with his people and ensure the wellbeing of the masses.

An ardent nationalist, he carried forward the illustrious legacy left behind by his predecessors – the enlightened rulers of Mysore.

After independence, Mysore was the first major State to accept the ‘Instrument of Accession’. The process of transition by which Mysore became an integral part of Indian Union was smooth and easy, thanks to the vision of the Maharaja.

A democrat at heart, the Maharaja had established a responsible government in the State by setting up the Constituent Assembly and an interim popular Government with Sri. K.C. Reddy as Chief Minister.

The Maharaja was a perfect blend of ancient traditional values of Indian civilization and the modernism of the western world.

He understood the nuances of democracy extremely well.

He felt that people must be empowered to govern themselves.. 

In many ways he embodied the ideal king like qualities that Chanakya describes in the Artha Shastra.

Sri Jaya Chamaraja Wadiyar was truly a pioneering leader who led India’s transition to being a strong democracy, contributing greatly to the unity and integrity of the fledgling nation. His ready acceptance of the recommendations of the Constituent Assembly and adopting the Constitution of India speaks volumes about his national outlook.

My dear sisters and brothers,

Throughout his reign and after independence, Sri Jaya Chamaraja worked tirelessly for the development of the Mysore.

He was an ardent supporter or entrepreneurship and actively encouraged the establishment of an industrial facility in Bengaluru by a company called Hindustan Aircraft in 1940 which become Hindustan Aeronautics.

In all his kindness, he gifted the magnificent Cheluvamba Mansion in Mysore to the Government to start the Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI). He also donated generously to set up the National Tuberculosis Institute in Bangalore and the All India Institute of Speech and Hearing at Mysore.

In his efforts to boost Science and Technology in the country and to develop scientific temper, Maharaja carried on his family’s tradition of providing Indian Institutes of Science, Bangalore with funds and Scholarships for running the Institute and occasionally for its expansion, when needed.

Sri Jaya Chamaraja was also a noted philosopher, music exponent, political thinker and philanthropist.

D.V. Gundappa, the great Kannada writer and thinker once said about the young prince, “His Highness embodies to us a combination of all that one wishes to find in a young citizen of India love and reverence for her ancient heritage, devotion to letters and art, concern for the higher values of human life, and instinctive feel for the ideals and principles of constitutional government and a conscientious regard for the public interest”.

A brilliant student, Prince Chamaraja was a lifelong learner. The very fact that he continued to acquire University degrees till his mid-forties is an eloquent testimony for his insatiable thirst for knowledge.

He was a famed musicologist, a connoisseur of both Western and Carnatic music and an acknowledged authority of Indian Philosophy.

He was also a scholar of Sanskrit language. His interest in Sanskrit was not merely academic. He was deeply attached to it and acquired enviable mastery over it.

A versatile genius Sri Jayachamaraja was also an outstanding writer and impressive speaker.

His ‘Jaya Chamaraja Grantha Ratna Mala’series has greatly enriched Kannada language and literature.

Sri Jayachamaraja was greatly in demand from several corners of the world for his erudite lectures and the themes he used to select for his spell binding expositions were very often focused on Indian Aesthetics and Indian logic

He was aptly called the ‘Dakshina Bhoja’ because of his unparalleled patronage to arts, literature and culture. Paying a tribute to him, a London paper described him as a Voluntary one-man mission, propagating the cause of Indian Culture.

My dear sisters and brothers,

As we celebrate the life and work of a great ruler today, we celebrate the knowledge, wisdom, passion, patriotism, vision and voice of all great rulers and statesmen like Maharaja Jaya Chamaraja Wadiyar who have shaped our history.

We celebrate the timeless Indian values, the rich cultural heritage and the ennobling vision that we all have inherited.

We celebrate the spirit of democracy, of people-centered good governance.

We celebrate the spirit of unity in diversity, of peace and harmony.

We particularly on this occasion, celebrate the indelible mark left by one of our country’s most illustrious sons.

I pay my deepest respects and humble tributes to the great Maharaja Chamaraja Wadiyar on this very auspicious occasion.

The greatest tribute which we can pay to stalwarts like Sri Jaya Chamaraja is to preserve and promote this grand cultural tradition of India of living together and working together, for the country, the world and the entire humanity.

Thank You!

Jai Hind!

*****

VRRK/MS/MSY/DP