Wednesday, March 29, 2017

A Maharaja's Passion

Mummadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar | Painted lithograph
Throughout history, there have been kings and queens who have had an odd yen for playing traditional board games. In the West it was gambling with dice or any game that involved a wager but in the East many of the games were enigmatic puzzles and it was in the realm of board games that one king in colonial India became famous as an inventor of board games.

Maharaja His Highness Sir Sri Krishnaraja Wadiyar Bahadur III, ruled Mysuru between 1799 and 1868 C.E.; during this period the kingdom of Mysuru became a rare hothouse of cultural renaissance. He played all popular board games, improved many of them and even invented new ones. He also chronicled board games and had his court scribes and artists prepare elegant manuscripts about them. His passion for the Knight's Magic Tour and its unique solution, has earned him fame.

Murals of portraits and puzzles, Ranga Mahal, Jaganmohana Palace, Mysuru
The king's love for liberal arts and his penchant for traditional board games was given a boost since the administrative control of his kingdom was in the hands of the British East India Company. The time-tested ploy of ruinous mismanagement, which the English Resident charged the king with, saw the reigns of the kingdom with the English and the king was put on pension. Mummadi, with enforced leisure on his hands, did not succumb, as so many other native princes, to carnal pleasures but sought inner peace in the mysterious world of traditional board games.

The Jaganmohana Palace, where the king used to retire, exists to this day as Sri Jayachamarajendra Art Gallery. It is in the many storeys of this Palace that one looks on with awe as entire walls are covered with exquisitely painted murals of board games and puzzles, in the old-Mysuru-tradition of painted pavilions.
A page from the manuscript of Kautuka Nidhi (Sri Tattvanidhi) illustrating the board game of Navagraha Pagaday

The king was also a scholar par excellence, a dramatist of merit, a polyglot at ease with Kannada, Persian, Telugu, Marathi and Tamil, and above all he was a patron of arts. It was also said that the king was a satirist of no mean order and that he had a personal 'court jester' to entertain him and his courtiers. Diaries and official communiqués from the Resident's office to the Viceroy's Home Office speak of his demeanour as being 'courteous and soft-spoken,' 'erudite yet diffident', a 'knowledgeable conversationalist with a sense of humour' and as a man of fine taste.

The king commissioned scholarly works; he wrote literary masterpieces in elegantly ornate Kannada (State language), about seventy in number. The monumental Sri Tattvanidhi is said to have been compiled by him. This multi-volume compendium of iconographical incantations speaks of the enormous grasp the king had over the realm of 'agama' based ritual and spirituality. Among the many literary works, mention may be made of Chamundika-Nighantu, Saugandhika-Parinaya, Sri Nanjunda Sataka and Navagraha-puja-Manjari.

Yet in the midst of this intellectual endeavour, the king's passion for board games was unbounded as was his passion for horses. His Pachisi innovation with its spiritual implications is remarkable for its ingenuity. Eight of the 24 squares in each arm are inscribed with a pictorial image along with an inscription in Kannada. The inscription instructs the player on whether the counter can jump forwards or backwards along the track. This may appear to be similar to the game of Snakes & Ladders. But there is a surprise to this Pachisi game for there is a subtle Karmic philosophy that is embedded.

In a similar vein is the 12-armed Pachisi, called Navagraha Pagaday that resembles a lotus in bloom. It has 12 x 12 or 144 squares. The game's 12 arms or petals are clustered together around the 12 signs of the zodiac. There are other planetary symbols at the centre giving the game an astrological characteristic.

Mummadi playing Chess with Rama Vilasa Sannidhana | Mysore painting | K.S. Shreehari | 2007
The king's passion was not limited to thinking up enigmatic variations but long hours of play with a few choice confidantes. In a private temple dedicated to the god Venkataramana, on the street close to the Jaganmohana Palace, one can see to this day a relief sculpture of a local but well-known religious balladeer, one Subbaraya Dasa. It was with this Subbaraya Dasa that the king enjoyed many a game. The king would also sit down for a game with his favourite consort, the Maharani Rama Vilasa Sannidhana.

It is believed that there are at least six illustrated board game manuscripts that credit authorship to Mummadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar. There is Chaturanga Sarasarvasva, the Sri Krishnaraja Chaturanga Sudhakara, the Sankhya Shastra, the Kempu Kitabu and two versions of the Chaturanga Chamatkrita Chakramanjari. Another classic, the Chaturanga Chakra is in the library of the Kuvempu Institute of Kannada Studies at the Manasagangotri campus of the University of Mysore.
Incomplete puzzle of knight's magic tour in the form of a Vyali, Mural at Jaganmohana Palace, Mysuru

Mummadi admired mathematical puzzles. They form a recurring theme in many of his works. For instance there is the knight's magic tour which is a classical maths puzzle that has intrigued board game theorists across the world. The aim of this chess-inspired conundrum is to use a single chess-counter, the knight, to 'tour' (more of a symbolic word) each square without 'revisiting' any square twice. But each square also contains a letter. By stopping sequentially on a selection of letters, the knight's magic tour puzzle now assumes the nature of an acrostic, a riddle in which the first, last or other letters can be 'arranged' to form a verse or a set of meaningful words.

The polychrome mural painting of the knight's magic tour can be seen in the top floor of the Sri Jayachamarajendra Art Gallery in Mysuru. Along with these murals many objects exists in this gallery, like a set of brass plates which are inscribed with different grids and configurations for board games or knight's 'tour' diagrammatic drawings with numbers as well as annotations that explain rules in addition to further interpretative remarks. Why would the king go to such lengths if not for letting board game players and enthusiasts across the world into the secrets of anagrams, cryptograms and magic squares that he had devised?

Game of Panchi | Inscribed brass plate | Collection and courtesy: British Museum
It is believed that several sets of these brass plates were made and a complete set of 23 is in the collection of the British Museum in London. The entire collection of board games and other assorted gifts including a miniature version of the Mysuru royal throne in silver were sent by Mummadi to the ruling British sovereign along with a request to end the rule of the British Commissioners; these were usually sent at the opening session of the British Parliament.

Mummadi is also said to have improved the card game of Ganjifa (Chad). In the Kautuka Nidhi (9th book of Sri Tattvanidhi), he describes 13 new variations of Ganjifa card games. These require anywhere between 36 and 360 cards. For example, the 360 cards sets had 18 suits. Each suit having 18 cards was presided over by a particular god or goddess. There  were also a number of additional cards that did not belong to any particular suit. These cards had different role in the game .
A Ganjifa card from the Chamundeshwari Chad

Jeff Hopewell, an acknowledged authority on Ganjifa cards, has written scores of scholarly articles on them. He has organised exhibitions of Ganjifa in Belgium and England. In one of his articles he mentions the 'Chamundeshwari Chad' with 16 suits devised by Mummadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar in which one is headed by Chamundi, the ruling deity of Mysuru. Hopewell describes the set thus: 'There are six court cards depicting the deity on an elephant, in a palanquin, on a chariot, on a horse, seated and standing by a fort with the regal standard fluttering in the wind.'

Yet another example of Mummadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar's invention surfaced in 1982 when it went under the hammer at a London auction house. The auction house described it as a 'double-sided reversible folding game board in rosewood, inlaid with ivory.' It was the Karmic game of Shivasayujya Mukti Ata.

This game revolves around spiritual and philosophical thoughts and is meant for four players. Here, the final winning square is in the centre of the board depicted as the abode of Shiva who is shown in the form of 'Mukhalinga'. The four players have six pieces each whose starting squares are marked within the lotuses at the corners of the board. On the reverse of this game board is the Devisayujya Mukti Ata game dedicated to the goddess Chamundeshwari and even this game is based on the philosophy of Karma.

Mummadi has left an unusually detailed record of his devotion to board games. Sadly many of these records are available not in Mysuru or even in some of the great museums in India but are on display at well known museums in foreign countries. Several others are to be found in the catalogue of auctioneers like Sotheby's and Christie's and in private collections abroad.

The corpus of work on board games by Mummadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar is mindboggling. Yet there is still a vacuum that needs to be filled. Many of his board games and puzzles are worthy of research by board game aficionados and scholars; this would add substantially to one's understanding of this enigmatic ruler. 

Monday, March 20, 2017

A Fitting Tribute To a Scholar King

A Fitting Tribute To a Scholar King


Major-General H.H. Maharaja Sri Sir Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar Bahadur
Maharaja of Mysore - 18 Jul. 1919 to 23 Sep. 1974

18 July 2016, a well known circle of Mysoreu, Hardinge Circle was rechristened as Jayachamarajendra Circle (eventually will be shortened as JC Circle) as the city finally honoured the last ruler of the erstwhile Mysuru State with the installation of a full-body portrait statue of the last Maharaja of Mysore. There are still a few more Colonial appendages like Lansdowne Building (it was originally known as Lansdowne Bazaar and was inaugurated by Lord Lansdowne) or the Dufferin Clock Tower or Chikka Gadiyara opposite Devaraja Market (inaugurated by Lady Dufferin) or the Curzon Park (honouring the visit of Lord and Lady Curzon) and Irwin Road.

Hardinge Circle was named in commemoration of the visit of Viceroy Lord Hardinge to Mysore. There used to be a flowery hedged circle with a high post with five domed lights in the middle of the crossroads. The circular garden vanished without a trace yet the name remained, ‘Hardinge Circle’, called raucously by bus conductors, ‘Aardinsurkel.’

Towards Kuppanna park on Mirza Ismail road

The location of the Jayachamarajendra Circle at the culmination of the Albert Victor road is meaningful as we already have the statues of two other iconic rulers of Mysore in a row. KR Circle, as it is known, is a commemorative statue to His Highness Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar whose achievements for the well-being and development of Mysore has been well-documented, likewise the majestic commemorative statue of Chamarajendra Wadiyar in front of the Jayarama and Balarama gate of the Palace.

Hardinge Circle and Mirza Ismail Road (seen in the background, a narrow road) as seen from Albert Victor road
History seems to have ‘overlooked’ the reign, brief though it was, of  Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar. Major-General H.H. Maharaja Sri Sir Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar Bahadur, Maharaja of Mysore. He was born on 18 July 1919 at the Chamundi Vihar Palace to Yuvarani Kempu Cheluvajammanni Avaru and H H Yuvaraja Kanthirava Narasimharaja Wadiyar Bahadur.

Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar had his early schooling at the Lokaranjan Mahal Royal School followed by graduate studies at Maharaja’s College of Mysore University and awarded a BA in 1938.

The death of his father on 11 March 1940 led to the title, ‘Yuvaraja Bahadur’ being conferred on him. The death of his uncle, the Maharaja on 3 August 1940, led to Jayachamarajendra ascending the throne on 29 August 1940 and anointed and installed as the Maharaja of Mysore on 8 September 1940.

Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar was installed as the ruler of Mysore at a time when the winds of freedom were blowing across the country. The nascent freedom fighters had already made inroads in various parts of the State. Mysore was not an exception. Maharaja Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar signed the 'Instrument of Accession' on 9 August 1947 and Mysore became a part of the Dominion of India on 15 August 1947. With an agreement merging Mysore with Indian Union on 26 January 1950, he ceased to be sovereign.

Later he was installed as ‘Rajapramukh’ of the State of Mysore and held this post till 31 October 1956. He was made the Governor of Mysore on 1 November 1956 and continued till 3 May 1964, further he was made the Governor of Madras and he served till 25 June 1966.

The then Maharaja had made certain conditions to the accession of Mysore to the Republic of India and this assurance made by the then party in power was rudely given a jolt when an Amendment to the Constitution was passed in 28 December 1971 by which the position of countless rulers were deprived of their rights as 'rulers’ and the privy purse guaranteed under the accession agreement was abolished. Overnight, kings became ‘commoners.’

This betrayal led to an anguished Maharaja forsake the grand Dasara celebrations; placing the royal sword on the throne he retreated to a private forest reserve near Bandipur.

HH Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar married twice. The first marriage which took place at the Kalyana Mantapa of the Palace on 15 May 1938 was to Satya Premakumari Devi-ammanni avaru, the daughter of Pratap Singh Deo Bahadur of Jigni. The couple had no children. The Maharaja’s second marriage was to Maharani Tripurasundari Devi Ammanni Avaru, daughter of Balananja Raje Urs, an officer in the Mysore State Forces. Both Maharanis died at Mysore in 1983 within a span of fifteen days.

Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar died on 23 September 1974 at the Bangalore Palace leaving behind one son and four daughters (the eldest daughter had predeceased him).

Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar was an accomplished musician in both Carnatic and Western classical music. He was an excellent pianist and there was a time when he expressed the desire to be a concert pianist and play with the great orchestras of Europe. In 1948 he was elected President of the London Philharmonic Orchestra Society. He was also an Honorary Fellow of Trinity College of Music, London (1946) and a Licentiate of the famed Guildhall School of Music.

Blessed with an ear for music Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar discovered Russian composer Nikolai Karlovich Medtner. A contemporary of Rachmaninoff and Scriabin, he wrote several compositions, all of which include the piano.  Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar discovered Medtner when the latter was living in London and in failing health. The Maharaja founded the Medtner Society with the objective of recording all Medtner's works and managed to record several concertos with the London Philharmonic Orchestra whose first president was the Maharaja. In gratitude to his patron, Medtner dedicated his Third Piano Concerto to the Maharaja of Mysore.

The Maharaja was also equally at home in the realm of Carnatic music, both as an instrumentalist and a composer. There are 74 Carnatic compositions by him.

He was also the (Vice) Chancellor of Mysore, Madras, Annamalai Universities as well as the Benares Hindu University. Like his forefathers he was a Patron & Chief Scout of Mysore State between 1940-1956, Chairman of the Wildlife Board of India. He was conferred a Hon LL.D by the Banaras Hindu University (1942), a D.Lit. by the Annamalai University in 1955 and a Hon. D.Lit. from the University of Queensland, Australia.

That he was deeply spiritual can be gauged by his scholarly books: “An Aspect of Indian Aesthetics” (1956), “Dattatreya-the Way and the Goal” (1957), “The Quest for Peace: an Indian Approach” (1959), “The Gita and Indian Culture” (1963) and “Religion and Man” (1965).

It is said that he had visited the ashram of the sage, Ramana Maharishi, in Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu. No Palace diarist has recorded this meeting but what is available is a book published by the ashram, ‘Day by day with Bhagavan’ by one Devaraja Mudaliar. In an entry dated 1945, there is Devaraja Mudaliar and others talking to Ramana Maharishi. Asks Mudaliar: ‘It is said that the Mysore Maharaja had come to see you.’ Nodding in agreement, the Sage replies: ‘He just sat quietly. He did not ask any questions. After sometime he bowed and took his leave saying that he would like to live here but the call of his people was too strong.’

Maharaja was also a good equestrian and fond of dogs. Regular visitors to the Palace in the late 50s would normally be shocked when they were in the Amba Vilas waiting to see the Maharaja, they would instead be forced into immobility as a pair of giant hounds wandered in and sat flanking the hapless visitor. The Maharaja would arrive, apologise on behalf of the dogs. “They will not hurt a fly” the Maharaja is said to have remarked leading one of the visitors to comment later on, “but I am not a fly.’ The Maharaja was quite accessible to his subjects and visitors.

Those fortunate enough to have met him would unanimously say, 'A gentleman and a scholar.'
18 July 2016. Unveiling of JC Circle
L-R: Rajamata Pramoda Devi, Maharajakumaris Kamakshi Devi and Indrakshi Devi, Maharaja Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, Maharani Trishika Devi and Sri R. Rajachandra

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PS: Lord Hardinge of Penshurst, British Diplomat and Statesman, served as Viceroy of India from 1910 to 1916. His tenure was a memorable one. King George V visited India and the Delhi Durbar was held in 1911. He also oversaw the shifting of the captial from Calcutta to New Delhi in 1912.
He had friendly relations with most of the ruling princes and this enabled him to negotiate the deployment of native Indian troops to areas outside India during World War I in 1914.
Lord Hardinge of Penshurst

In 1916 after he stepped down as Viceroy, he returned to his former post in England - Permanent Under Secretary at Foreign Office. In 1920 he was appointed as the Ambassador to France before his retirement in 1922. He died on 2 August 1944, aged 86.

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This article was published in Star of Mysore on 02 July 2016