Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu describes JC Wadiyar as ‘Dakshina Bhoja’

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu described Jayachamaraja (JC) Wadiyar, the last ruler of the erstwhile Mysore state, as ‘Dakshina Bhoja,’ as he encouraged, promoted and propagated Indian culture and traditions.

He was speaking at the valedictory function of the birth centenary celebrations of JC Wadiyar, held virtually on YouTube live streaming on Saturday, the 101st birth anniversary. His Highness Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar Foundation had organised the event virtually as a public programme could not be held due to Covid.

The inaugural function of the centenary celebration was graced by President Ram Nath Kovind on October 10, 2019, at the Public Durbar Hall of the Mysuru Palace. Even though JC Wadiyar was born on July 18, 1919, the celebration was launched on
October 10, 2019.

Naidu said, JC Wadiyar was a blend of ancient traditional values and modernity. “JC Wadiyar was the real ‘people’s maharaja’. He inherited the rare magnanimity of ‘royalty with democracy,’ from his predecessors. In pre-Independent India, Mysuru was the most self-reliant and progressive state,” he said.

Naidu said, Wadiyar strived to empower the people to rule themselves and promoted entrepreneurship. He recalled the contributions of Wadiyar for the expansion of Indian Institute of Science, for the establishment of Raman Institute, Hindustan Aeronautical Limited, Central Food Technologies Research Institute, National Tuberculosis Institute, All India Institute of Speech and Hearing, etc.

Former Union minister Karan Singh, a contemporary of JC Wadiyar, said as founder president of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Wadiyar propounded the inclusive principle of Hinduism.

Former Union minister and Rajya Sabha member Jairam Ramesh said the role of VHP and its founder president JC Wadiyar in propounding the principle of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ (the world is one family) is more relevant in the current situation.

“The chapter on Mysuru has just four pages in the book ‘The Story Of The Integration Of The Indian States,’ penned by V P Menon. This explains how smooth the accession of Mysuru into the Indian Union was,” he said.

While president of HHSDNR Foundation Pramoda Devi Wadiyar lit the lamp at Amba Vilas Durbar Hall of Mysuru Palace, the Vice President, Karan Singh and Jairam Ramesh joined the event from their respective homes in New Delhi. Daughters of JC Wadiyar Kamakshi Devi and Indrakshi Devi joined from their homes in Bengaluru. Secretary of the foundation Reginald Wesley was present.

The online streaming was watched on https://youtu.be/WNpoCYHFsio.