arasi wrote:As for the picture (taken while he was in the west??), my, isn't he handsome! A cross between Gary Cooper and TS Eliot, it seems. Even in later years when he had gained considerable weight, in close quarters one saw on his face a certain glow...
It is called raja khale by Mr. E.R. Sethuram and read another account of the same interview below:
College and long After
Sri E. R. Sethuram
To write on Dr. Jayachamaraja Wadiyar is difficult indeed. His interests were so varied, his scholarship so vast, his dedication to learning so intense, his attainments so wide - ranging that it would be impossible to bring them into the framework of a single article. Here is only a glimpse of a great personality provided by way of paying a tribute.
Being of the same age, I recall my middle school days, when I was drawn to a very attractive picture of the Prince charming. A picture of smiling cherubic round face with well drawn features, a sparkling pair of eyes, the top covered by a brocade cap adorned many walls of many a house in Old Mysore of those days. These calenders were then a rage. The picture changed to a teenager clad in Scout uniform and as years rolled on a majestic lace turban tied systematically replaced the cap. Still later emerged an young man looking every inch a prince in close collar coat and royal Turban. I remember in my ninth or tenth year when I asked my mother how the Prince could be so beautiful, her short reply was Royal splendour (Raja Khale)
At the college
As luck would have it, it was the year 1934 that we both entered the portals of the Intermediate College in Mysore. Being classmates we used to see each other almost daily. A big room on the first floor at the Southern end was converted into a lounge room for him, with suitable furniture. He would arrive exactly 15 minutes earlier to the opening time along with an aide and Sri C. S. Seshadri, who was his companion in studies. He would alight from the car quietly, climb steps slowly and walk to his room. His gait was unhurried and majestic. If anyone greeted him on the way he would smile back and bow with folded hands.
A chair with a cane seat was kept in the classroom (referred to as Intermediate Hall) in line with the front bench. The royal student would enter the c1ass some minutes after the teacher's entry and would also leave the class a few minutes before the bell.
He always was correct in his dress, punctual in his attendance, majestic in his department, unobtrusive in his movements. He was punctilious in his behavior. He would bow to the gathering every time he either sat or rose. Once or twice he played Tennis in the College grounds. He displayed excellent command of the game, but being of shy disposition, he failed to run far the ball placed slightly farther off, though he could normally get it if he ran. He would blush. Here you could glimpse that part of him, which stayed away from all the din and bustle around. Perhaps it is this part of his self that was given to. Meditation, which produced those profound philosophical works, those magnificent musical compositions and many mare brilliant pieces of creative work. A number of distinguished people who knew him intimately have written about these achievements in this volume, so that it needs no repetition.
It is nearly after a lapse of three decades that I had the good fortune of interviewing him in 1965. It was a memorable evening and is still green in my memory. After 25 years of journalism, I had become the Editor of "Sudha" which started that year. I had thought of doing an attractive feature on Dasara festival for the Dasara Week featuring the central figure around wham the entire festival revolved for ages. Sri Wadiyar was the then Governor of Madras. After a request from me he had accepted to grant me an interview at Bangalore on his way to. Madras from Mysore. I went along with my journalist colleague, Prof. H. S. K., and Photographer Mr. B. S. Achar to the Bangalore Palace with great delight.
To give him an idea of the nature of questions we would ask, we sent him a list of probable questions through Sri. Balaraj, who was his assistant at that time. As he read this list, it naturally gave him an idea that we were bent upon an extensive probe. So he sent word through Sri Balaraj that he would like to ponder aver them and answer at leisure; could we meet him after a few days? Being an extremely sensitive soul he perhaps surmised that a hurried question and answer session with us might give room to some controversy.
But postponement of the interview would have been a disaster. We had to publish the same the very next week. So. We pleaded that the questionnaire was only indicative of the trend of our interview. We added that he would be at liberty to choose only those he liked to answer. We promised even to submit the final write-up and publish only those portions he approved deleting all else.
The interview
He agreed to meet us for a few minutes and we were ushered into a big room. Sri Wadiyar entered the· room after two minutes, greeted us and sat down 'on a chair opposite. This is the only time I have seen him in ordinary dress. He wore loose fitting trousers and a buttoned - up coat, all white. He was without his inevitable turban. Three lines of Vibhuti covered his forehead. He was not very well at that time. His face looked weary, but his eyes had not lost their sparkle. As usual he spoke slowly, in measured tones with a drawl, but his mind was quick and quite alert.
As we started recapitulating our college days he relaxed. At the mention of a few names of our beloved mentors and Professors of the college, he grew almost nostalgic and started enquiring about many more whom he remembered distinctly. First was the name of our beloved Superintendent Sri B. Nagesha Rao, who used to quote all too often from the Githa. He told us about his meeting him in Bellary. He reminiscenced about Principal Rollo, Prof. McIntosh, Pl0f. Thirumalachar, Prof. Krishna Rao and many more. He was very happy that he was in close contact all the time with Prof. D'Souza, Shri Sathyagirinathan, Yamunachar, Ramachandra Rao and many more.
His love of European Music, he traced to his mother's influence. He told us about his vast collection of these discs and his inordinate interest in that sphere. He was proud of his dear uncle, and it was under his loving care and watchful eye that he was initiated into the World of Karnatic Music. He had the blessings of Great masters like Vasudevacharya, Ariyakudi and many more, who were a part and parcel of the Mysore Darbar, and this was his inspiration. He explored the Nadopasana Marga and considered it as a path for reaching Godhead. Despite probing he would not enlarge on the merits of his compositions in Karnatic Music. He was too refined a soul and referred to that " small contribution" as being due to the "Anugraha" of the elders. His respect for the system was too deep and too solid. When I asked him about mixing up of the Northern and Southern styles, he came out against cheap efforts in that direction for the sake of novelty. He felt that both the systems had attained maturity. If one thoughtlessly mixed the two the authentic accent would suffer.
Though he had indicated that the interview was for a few minutes only, he felt relaxed and at ease. He answered many questions at length in chaste English. It was a delight to hear him speaking slowly, clearly with the correct accent that showed the influence of his English tutors at an early age. He spoke to us about the democratic age and its values. His knowledge of the African continent was surprisingly vast. When I used the term "Backward countries"