A businessman, an industrialist and a maharaja met on a flight back from America. The businessman, William D Pawley, owned the Intercontinental Aircraft Corporation of New York and had entered into a partnership with the Chinese nationalist government. The industrialist, Walchand Hirachand, wanted to set up an aircraft factory in India. The maharaja, a 21-year-old coronated barely a month ago, readily agreed to support the idea.
This, in short, is the story of how Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), India’s largest defence and aerospace company, was set up in Bengaluru. The maharaja who helped create this watershed moment in the Indian aviation history was Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar, the 25th and last maharaja of Mysore. July 18 is his birth anniversary.
Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar with Maharani Vani Vilasa (left) “The maharaja’s career was filled with momentous and crucial decisions,” said Rajachandra Urs, Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar’s sonin-law. He is married to Indrakshi Devi, one of Wadiyar’s six children. “It was during his reign that India went through political turmoil, be it the Quit India movement or the declaration of Independence. The maharaja adapted to changes in the political scenario rather gracefully.”
Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar took over as the maharaja of Mysore after the death of his paternal uncle Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar. He ruled from 1940 to 1950. Having completed his education in the Royal School of Mysore, he specialised in history, economics and politics. He trained in Western classical piano under his mother, Kempu Cheluvarajammanni. He was an honorary fellow of Trinity College of Music, London, learnt Carnatic music and studied Sanskrit under Vedic scholars.
Slice Of History: Legendary Swords And The Kings Who Brandished Them
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The famous sword of Tipu Sultan made news recently when Vijay Mallya, its most recent owner, gave it away as it had brought him ”bad luck”. Let’s take a look at other legendary swords and the kings who brandished them.
The famous sword of Tipu Sultan made news recently when Vijay Mallya, its most recent owner, gave it away as it had brought him ”bad luck”. Let’s take a look at other legendary swords and the kings w..
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The Rajput king Maharana Pratap used to carry two swords which weighed nearly 25 kilos each. It is said that he would offer one sword to his enemy before a fight, if he was unarmed. Currently, the swords are placed in the Maharana Pratap museum in Udaipur, Rajasthan.
(Image: www.indiancollectiveinfo.blogspot.in)
The Rajput king Maharana Pratap used to carry two swords which weighed nearly 25 kilos each. It is said that he would offer one sword to his enemy before a fight, if he was unarmed. Currently, the sw..
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Several swords from Japan have been identified as national treasures, given their unique craftsmanship. One such is the legendary seven-branched sword. It was gifted to the King of Wa by the King of Baekje, a kingdom in the southwest of the Korean Peninsula. The sword was developed for ceremonial purposes and was not built for battle.
(Image: Wikimedia Commons)
Several swords from Japan have been identified as national treasures, given their unique craftsmanship. One such is the legendary seven-branched sword. It was gifted to the King of Wa by the King of ..
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Said to be the source of magical powers, the Excalibur is a legendary sword. It was wielded by King Arthur, who, according to medieval history, pulled the sword from an anvil sitting atop a stone on Christmas Eve. It was this feat that made him the king of the land in the late fifth century. Legend has it that while on his deathbed, King Arthur asked his knight of the round table to throw the sword into the lake.
(Image: www.ancient.eu)
Said to be the source of magical powers, the Excalibur is a legendary sword. It was wielded by King Arthur, who, according to medieval history, pulled the sword from an anvil sitting atop a stone on ..
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Currently displayed at the National Wallace Monument in Stirling, Scotland, this antique twohanded sword is said to have belonged to William Wallace, a Scottish knight who led a resistance to the English occupation of Scotland in the 13th century. However, historical discrepancies have led several historians to believe that the sword was never in use as anyone who wielded it would have had to be at least seven feet tall.
(Image: www.nationalwallacemonument.com)
Currently displayed at the National Wallace Monument in Stirling, Scotland, this antique twohanded sword is said to have belonged to William Wallace, a Scottish knight who led a resistance to the Eng..
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At least 2,500 years old, this sword was still shiny and sharp when it was discovered by archaeologists in China in 1965. According to the engravings on the blade, the sword belonged to Goujian, the King of Yue State and one of the most famous Chinese emperors. This legendary sword is currently displayed . at the Hubei Provincial Museum, China.
(Image: Hubei Provincial Museum - www.hbww.org)
At least 2,500 years old, this sword was still shiny and sharp when it was discovered by archaeologists in China in 1965. According to the engravings on the blade, the sword belonged to Goujian, the ..
“He had composed 94 kritis in 94 different ragas in a span on 28 months between 1945 and 1947. He invented 10 new ragas and composed music under the name ‘Srividya’,” said M Lakshminarayana, who was Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar’s private secretary. “His collection of music records was so large and varied that gramophone companies often borrowed records from him for reprints.” He has also authored various literary and philosophical works.
Wadiyar, Lakshminarayana explained, was a wildlife enthusiast who loved travel. He picked up books of all kinds from his travels. “Like his ancestors, he also gave a lot of impetus to education.” It is said that the maharaja, a good tennis player himself, helped Ramanathan Krishnan participate in Wimbledon in the 1960s.
Wadiyar, the founder-president of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, was one of the first rulers to sign the Instrument of Accession in August 1947. Mysore set up a responsive government in October that year. The maharaja was appointed Rajpramukh of Mysore and subsequently the governor of Mysore and Madras States. He passed away on September 23, 1974 in the Bangalore Palace.
When Thieves Stole Queen Anne of Brittany's Heart And Other Pieces Of History
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A 16th-century engraved golden case that held the heart of Anne, the Queen of Brittany, was stolen from the Thomas-Dobrée museum. Let’s take a look at the other limbs that have tempted thieves through the years
(Image: www.theanneboleynfiles.com)
A 16th-century engraved golden case that held the heart of Anne, the Queen of Brittany, was stolen from the Thomas-Dobrée museum. Let’s take a look at the other limbs that have tempted thieves throug..
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Skulls seem to be in high demand for grave snatchers. In 1791, a grave digger took the skull for himself and kept it in his family until the early 20th century. It was then handed over to the Salzburg Mozarteum Foundation. This high note was quickly toned down though, as DNA tests showed that the skull may not belong to the Austrian composer after all. This means that the mystery of Mozart’s missing skull is still unsolved.
(Image: www.mozarteum.at)
Skulls seem to be in high demand for grave snatchers. In 1791, a grave digger took the skull for himself and kept it in his family until the early 20th century. It was then handed over to the Salzbur..
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To steal or not to steal, that was clearly not the question for the 18th century thieves who stole William Shakespeare’s skull from his grave at Holy Trinity church in Stratfordupon-Avon. In 2016, while shooting for a documentary on the playwright, researchers discovered that grave robbers most likely stole Shakespeare’s skull in 1794. But don’t worry, the joke is on the thieves as Shakespeare wrote a curse on his grave especially targeted to anyone who moved his bones.
To steal or not to steal, that was clearly not the question for the 18th century thieves who stole William Shakespeare’s skull from his grave at Holy Trinity church in Stratfordupon-Avon. In 2016, wh..
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During Napoleon Bonaparte’s autopsy in the 1820s, a doctor cut off the French Emperor’s genitals and gave it to a priest. But it wasn’t a very impressive gift, measuring just one and a half inch. The appendage later resurfaced and was bought in the ’70s by an American urologist, with whom it has remained since. The penis, which was not properly preserved, has since been compared to a piece of leather, a shrivelled eel and beef jerky.
(Image: www.napoleon.org)
During Napoleon Bonaparte’s autopsy in the 1820s, a doctor cut off the French Emperor’s genitals and gave it to a priest. But it wasn’t a very impressive gift, measuring just one and a half inch. The..
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Back in 1966, 21 years after Benito Mussolini was executed, America gave part of the former Italian dictator’s brain back to his widow. They kept some to study it and perhaps as a morbid trophy. Four decades later, Mussolini’s brain landed up on the internet for 15,000 euros. His granddaughter protested and eBay promptly removed the listing.
Back in 1966, 21 years after Benito Mussolini was executed, America gave part of the former Italian dictator’s brain back to his widow. They kept some to study it and perhaps as a morbid trophy. Four..
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The English-born American political activist, philosopher and revolutionary had a pretty sad end — only six people attended his funeral in 1809. And to make matters worse, 10 years later, a fan of Paine’s named William Cobbett exhumed his body in the hope of building him a proper memorial. But Cobbett couldn’t raise the money needed, and so Paine was stuck in trunk, in his attic. Legend has it that his bones were turned into buttons.
(Image: www.ushistory.org)
The English-born American political activist, philosopher and revolutionary had a pretty sad end — only six people attended his funeral in 1809. And to make matters worse, 10 years later, a fan of Pa..
