RICH INDIAN DEAD

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 September 1940, Page 10

RICH INDIAN DEAD

FORTUNE OF £BO MILLION. The Maharajah of Mysore, one of the richest men in the world, died after a heart attack at Mysore, last month, at the age of 56. He succeeded his father 35 years ago, when he was granted full ruling rights. The second richest man in India, his fortune is estimated at £80,000,000. The Maharajah visited England in 1936, and had a temple set up in one of London’s most expensive hotels, states the Sunday Dispatch. Here a goiden image u of his family’s goddess, Chamundeswari, was placed, while two priests performed Hindu rites there every day. Always dressed in a colourful Indian costume of kneelength coats, richly coloured turban, and diamond earrings, the Maharajah shunned eggs, meat, and fish. While in England, accompanied by 30 servants, he refused to eat anything but vegetarian dishes. Nor did he ever smoke or touch alcohol. Water from the Ganges was all he drank at home. In London, the water he had was first blessed by his spiritual advisers. The Maharajah’s annual income from his State was more than £3,000,000. Mysore came to be kneyzn during his rule as “India’s model State.” His first step as ruler was to launch a drive to cure the illiteracy of his 6,500,000 subjects. He built village welfare centres, orphanages, hospitals and maternity homes. It was said that there was no State in India I where peasants and labourers had I better houses.

< INDIAN TRADITION The Maharajah kept up the full pomp and pageant of Indian tradition and Hindu mysticism for the annual harvest thanksgiving. The festivities lasted ten days. For the first nine days, the Maharajah stayed in his palace in complete seclusion, feasting and unshaven. He was held by his people to attain semidivinity during the period. On the tenth day he emerged from his palace still unshaven, to show himself to his people. He rode through their midst seated in a silver howdah on a State elephant drapgd and bejewelled in fantastic richness down to its gilded toe-nails. He was escorted in front and behind by a procession four miles long, composed of pikemen, men-at-arms, and infantry and cavalry regiments of his own army, in the most modern equipment? The processional ride was preceded by the public worship- of sacred animals in Mysore, and by a torch-lit procession to the palace with State horses and elephants, at which both' horses and elephants made obeisance to the Mahdrajah. Afterwards came a series of magnificent durbars at the palace. The Maharajah’s great pastime was listening to music. He had two orchestras, an Indian and a European