Tag Archives: religion

Con-monitization – The 5 legged Cow in a moving Temple

On the 10th of May, I was traveling from Madikeri to Mysuru & saw this unusual looking 4-wheeler in front of us near Kamplapura. I was craning my neck to get a clear view as it was cloudy, raining & mad driving in a 2-way lane. That’s when my husband said look at the extra limb on cow’s back & the people are taking advantage of its deformity. He continued, see how the vehicle is modified into look like a shrine, picture of one of the prophets is kept decked with flowers & the cow is made to look holy! The 3-ladies & the driver, & perhaps even some more might be making a living out of the deformity of the cow!!

Like prostitution, conning is one of the oldest professions in the world. Akin to the prey & the predator of the jungle, wherever “innocent victims” congregate, the Salesmen “concentrate”.

I call it CON-monetization (en-cashing on the innocence, ignorance & helplessness of poor people in a cunning way). One has to marvel at their ingenuity, creativity & the ability to fool their fellow beings. Looking at them I remember a famous line from the Kirtane of Kannada Saint Composer Kanakadasa (1509-1609): Ellaru madu-vudu hotte-gagi genu batte-gagi {Ellaru = every one, maduvudu = doing or does, hottegagi = for the sake of stomach, genu = a measurement from the finger tip till the elbow & battegagi = for clothing. In short, everyone is working to fill one’s stomach} be it a King or a pauper, thief or saint, etc., etc. Ironically that piece of cloth is what differentiates the humans from the rest of the living being who walks vertical & has no natural cover!

cow.jpg

After the mystery of Mother Nature, it’s Religion that always fascinates me. Often I wonder who coined, designed, shaped & coloured something called religion. It’s soft & fragile as a new born, beautiful as a flower petal, fragrant as jasmine, stronger than a earth quake, powerful than a tsunami, brighter like Sun, darker like moon lunar, blind as a mud snake, deaf & dumb like each other & definitely the most used, misused & abused aspect of human life. It has taken more lives & spilt more blood than anything else in the history of mankind. As a Kodava, I am privileged not to be bound or bundled by something called religion & it gives me both an edge to privacy while freedom to watch & learn. I find it very funny when someone tries to lure me (twice I experienced) with the classic “you are such a nice person, you must read our book, it has so many merits” … (I have no idea if there is shortage of good people…) & want to tell them to be humans first & then think of religion.

It happens only in India… In India Religious con-monetization & fooling is not just limited to Hinduism but practically wide spread in almost every religion though in different fashions. For example one of the Religions from Middle East has made their Prophet from almost God status into a pure Ghost-Buster (remember the movie & the music?). I am not sure if the Prophet was married or not, wondering what status they would have given her… a she-ghost-buster or a she-warlock? The Religious Salesmen are pro-monetizing* the innocent, the ignorant & the helpless by promising protection from the current & the future ghosts for generations to come!! Guess the entire community of ghosts from India including the ones from Kukkarhalli kere goes to these religious congregations seeking solace & comical action. (*Pro-monetizing, I just made up the word meaning buying human bakras (goats) by converting to boost the volume to accommodate more ghosts even from overseas).

I was under the impression that Black magic & Ghosts doesn’t belong to any particular religion… LoL the possessing of Ghosts & the powers of Priestly Salesmen are so funny I can’t just stop laughing… if anyone wants a good laugh for free without going to a standup comedy show you can watch one too many strange & funny videos on you-tube…

Everyone will do anything for the sake of filling the stomach be it in a righteous or in an unrighteous manner. It will continue to be till the last man on earth survives & sadly religion is the easiest guise to cover up the con.

Kali’s home – Carnal pleasures

USA is the world’s Super Power,, and Manhattan is it’s soul & crowning glory , a scion of of diversity & opportunity. Manhattan, perhaps the most well laid block of land in the world, where even a child big enough to read the numbers can navigate, is yet a paranoiac place… I believe Mr. Kali had finally seems to have narrowed down the place for his modus operandi… Manhattan, where even after the 2012 Super Storm Sandy (an unusual phenomenon not seen in decades), could not deter the spirit of Manhattanites!! There are many similarities… between the scenario… then & now!

Kali has unlimited powers compared to an average human & a capable shape shifter who can transform at will. Kali is not really a physical entity or body that we could perceive with naked eye but it has the ability to mentally remote control the flora, fauna and people. Kali is like an alien, a virtual power machine which can spread like virus without cure. And humans & machines are the ones really used by Mr. Kali as tools to control the world for example the GM food, DNA modification, computers, mobile & other devices which has reached the remotest corners of the world. It has taken millenniums to bring the rule of Mr. Kali to get into final shape & it almost seems on the verge of completion.  Once mind is hacked, with the digital handshake, thegap between the humans are narrowed & the task will be completed once the information is overloaded taming the brain, which loses the ability to think!!  End of it there will be no religion (that’s why I kept seeing the different religious connections), no caste bar, grey gender differentiation (that’s why the “T” in LGBT is growing), nothing remains. The world population will turn to Zombie like state under the influence of Mr. Kali till the arrival of the savior, the Son of God in human form. That has to be in human form as man rather Zombies can understand & believe only what is seen or known to them.

Mind is the most important aspect of creation & every being has its own mind. However, man is called the intelligent being because his mind & thinking capacity is deemed superior. Yajur Veda says: When you know a man, you know the universe. Charaka (born 300 BC), the main contributor to the Indian medicine Ajurveda says: Man is the epitome of the universe. There is in man as much diversity as in the world outside, & there is in the world as much diversity as in man.’ When the individual becomes aligned with the universe, the lesser cosmos functions as a harmonious unit of the greater. Man is ruled by the mind. It is said that those who control the mind will control the universe. Also every mind (individual mind) is connected to everyone (collective mind) & that’s why when things done in unison the effect can be noticed – for example while praying you can feel the energy as most minds are connected towards the divine.

 

Individual mind – Collective mind – Divine mind.

 

Even though the creator has the overall control such as the birth & death, the in-between choice is given to the individual mind as creator also has bestowed the thinking capacity to the created. Every being has the thinking capacity but the degree varies. The in-between is something which could come under the control of Kali. It is the individual evil mind is what influenced by Kali. For example, if you can enjoy hurting an innocent fellow being such as a child for personal gain of any kind, then they have to be evil. Even the strong willed King Parkishtha came under his influence.

Also the human mind is a soft target when it comes to Religion where Mr. Kali could have the easiest influence. In a country like India where the thugs such as the Great Empire (& other barbarians), made sure there was division among the people supported by the succeeding politicians whose main target was to bag votes to gain power & money. That was furthered by the roughish Sales men of the Religion. The religion around the world has been divided subdivided & fragmented over the years, so much so even trivia part of the human body, the facial hair (hair – dead part of the body) is used to identify the religion & hate crimes are committed!!

According to Mahabharata, Kali’s arrival on earth coincided with the death of Sri Krishna (Vishnu). However, he was not active until the death of the mighty & righteous Kuru King Parkishit, (grandson of Arjuna, one of the Pandava brothers & best friend of Sri Krishna). Strangely Mr. Kali had obtained permission to enter the Earth… in other words it was Legal!! Parikstha, son of Abhimanyu was a unique child from the Middle Vedic period, who while still in his mother Uttara’s womb, was killed by Ashwathama, using Brahmastra, the ultimate weapon of that period, in retaliation to the killing of his father Drona. Sri Krishna brought him back to life, hence the name Parikstha (tested one). His grandmother Subhadra was Sri Krishna’s younger sister.

Mr. Kali had tricked the King who sat on his horse, to let him enter the kingdom & the King had given him permission to dwell only in 4-places including gold. The symbolic Lady Virtue was his strength & constant companion. Strangely, the King himself became the first victim as Mr. Kali entered his golden crown & master minded the King’s death as he could not conquer the humanity with the righteous King still ruling the land. The King died when he took a single bite from the apple which floated towards him in the water just a fraction of a second before the time was up.

Whats the connection with Manhattan? Like Parkisthit’s watch tower in the middle of the water body, Apple showroom stands transparent with clear glass in all 4-directions, aloof among the concrete jungle! {an interesting story & I will write about it later…}

Like the King was tricked & entered without his knowledge, the slaves of the virtual software are gripping the generation without their realization, sinking in quietly … the mania increasing day by day hour by hour & minute by minute & second by second… oh Lord…both fear & relief passed through me pushing to shudder… it has already beaten the records of whatsapp & facebook mania.. with all the personal information about anyone who could access the internet is saved under google… {every persons alphabet under Alphbet Inc… coooool} control will not be difficult too.. all that the hegemonic Kali had to do was just find the right portal!

Late Mr. Steve Jobs (of Middle Eastern origin – Syrian) had opened his glass Apple cube showroom with 15 monolithic glass panels right opposite to the Plaza hotel, with his iconic one bite missing apple. When under construction, the showroom had made a controversial curiosity sensation as the rumours ran amok that it was an imitation of Kaba itself! There were debates on it till it was unveiled…

Central Park is almost a forest or oasis of green/trees in the middle of the concrete jungle surrounded by bars with all sorts of activities where the King had given permission for Mr. Kali to dwell. The main entrance has the General astride on the horseback lead by the Lady Victoria holding a palm frond, all in gold, symbolizing victory, triumph, peace & eternal life. The video was playing too fast in my mind & wondered what was happening & why – without any answer.

Strangely in the middle of the night the couple above our flat with the wooden floor started their carnal action… it started with a thug… as if there was an elephant amok which brought the thought of the elephant in heat which I had seen few months ago & felt sorry for it. It got nosier & nosier as if they were pumped up with Viagra & had a death erection. These basic needs are stretched too far by man leading into all sorts of activities & expectations… everything was happening around me & I was wondering what the hell is it all leading to? I am a grandmother & I can understand how the world works but this was confusing. I wondered why I had planned a short trip to New York out of the blue forcing my husband to accompany me? He simply hates short trips to long distance…

In the middle of it all I thought of the Dajjal, according to the Middle Eastern belief the anti-Christ will be born on earth (location unknown). It is something similar to Mr. Kali… & his actions. It is said that the Son of God in yellow robe will kill Dajjal. He is expected to descend near the white eastern minaret of Damascus, clad in two yellow sheets, leaning on the shoulders of two angels. Perhaps the two angles are the 2-wings of Garuda his official vehicle? One cannot lean on two persons at one time right? Since, the Sanatana Dharma has no specific single book, they are not included in the terminology of Middle Eastern believes. So it is always said that Lord Jesus will come back as he is said to be the Son of the God. But Lord Jesus never wears yellow & not two pieces too… he wears white single robe… so who is that Son of God who is coming back? There is no other prophet or anyone wearing yellow… the holy colour of Indian beliefs.

The thought of Dajjal & Mr. Kali was making me uncomfortable & then I realized that Lord Vishnu is to appear towards the end of the Kali Yuga. Lord Krishna, an Avatara of Lord Vishnu himself says in Srimad Bhagwad Gita that … Yada yada hi dharmasya… Whenever virtue subsides & wickedness prevails, I manifest Myself. To establish virtue, to destroy evil, to save the good, I come from Yuga (age) to Yuga. Kalki is the tenth & final Avatara of Lord Vishnu during Kali Yuga. An avatar means a divine being born in a human form usually to sustain law & balance of nature when it grows out of control.

Lord Vishnu is known as Pitambaradhari (the one who wears yellow!! – see the concluding part for more details) & the thought of those smiling eyes gave me comfort. So is it almost time for his arrival… Mr. Kali will be ridden by Sri Vishnu.

I thought who is going to win the Presidency & who could play a major role? That’s when I could see the monkeys jumping around scratching & screeching themselves, as if mocking me. Monkeys in Manhattan… then I remembered seeing them at the Louis Vuitton showroom as window dressing just around the corner between Apple showroom & the Trump Towers during my previous trip!!

Homelessness & the power of Hope

 

People have different views & perspective towards life. Some are satisfied with what they have, while others  are too sensitive & long for comforts. If some hang on to their pride & ego, others would do any work for a living.

I saw 4-different youngsters in different parts of Manhattan {one right in front of Mr. Trump’s living quarters} holding banners that said If I have $20 I could find a room in the hostel & I could get a proper job or I could go to school or something like that.

I was forbidden by my family to take pictures… since it’s an apparent invasion of their privacy!! I fruitlessly argue with them that when they are physically fit & live in the land of opportunities & social security & still beg, why can’t I take picture? Many a times homelessness is forced on people by war or some kind of calamity which is really unfortunate. But in USA it’s not fair, infactI saw a young homeless man at Albuquerque (New Mexico), asking for help while holding a cardboard that read- “I am too honest to steal & too ugly for prostitution”!

Way back in 1990, my family and I, were homeless for 9-whole days. No home, no bath & we were exposed to fine dust storm in the desert No-man’s land between the Iraq-Jordan  A journey which takes less than 5 hours stretched to 9-days & nights! Being homeless is really sad & stressful…. Something like labour pain – it can only be experienced but can never be explained! The other day my daughter asked me Mum how can people live without a home? I think I would die if I become homeless… then I told her their time has not come for death… their Karma is still lingering on… more than that the word HOPE has a long reach. Hope is like the carrot & the donkey… somehow its pulls one to move forward in search of a better day. I explained to her of a worse condition than being homeless I had witnessed.

It was a leper without limbs (below his both knees), with raw pink flesh & flies sitting on it. He sat on a make shift wooden board with 4 small wheels pushing himself ahead with his palm. Sometime around 2008, I was walking along with my husband behind Mohan Bhandar at Mysore searching for some light fixtures. It was a crowded narrow street & suddenly he appeared right in front of me. His gaze was so sharp, transfixed almost piercing my soul as if blaming me for being able to walk… I just stood there, dumbstruck, unable to move, & my husband had to walk back after realizing that I was not following him anymore. His image is still imprinted in my mind…. Many a times I wondered what made him tick? Is that what is called the mortal “Vyamoha” in Sanskrit (roughly translated as deep attachment)? Or is it simply fear of the unknown, the death? Wish I could ask him what made him mentally so strong? What was he hoping for… a miracle? I realized then that if he had the courage to live, then no one on earth has the right to kill themselves- whatever may be the circumstances.

Usually homeless & begging goes hand in hand. Some may scrape from the dustbin than ask for handout. Begging style differs from country to country, & from person to person. There are many ways to beg… some will follow you or try to hang on to you like leeches. Some will silently beg. Some will sing or play music & expect some payment. While some will entertain with animals & rope tricks etc., etc. Some will earn money but are so used to their life on the street that they could never live a normal life. Beggary just becomes a way of life… old habits die hard…

Lately a beggar died in action (i.e. while still begging) on the streets of Bengaluru, India. When they lifted his body to be taken to the grave yard, they were in for a surprise… under his quilt on which he sat in a semicircle igloo like makeshift tent & begged, was currency worth more than 13-million rupees. Enough to give him a comfortable home, warm bed, food & clothing. Yet he sat on it till death, perhaps hoping it would hatch or lay eggs!!

More than that I was amazed to watch the video in which so many gathered with deep fervor, young old like, guarded by a police man with a lathi (stick) in hand, to count & sort the money. Touch & scent of Money, in any form & from any source is still desirable like bed of sweet smelling roses…. Hum. God knows how hands it will pass through & how many will try to pocket some… Begging from the Beggar rather from the Dead Body!! Ironically, his lifeless body was laid right next to the whole drama, ready to be lifted… Dead Body, a funny strange word… Wondered IF, his Soul was hanging around watching the drama what would it must be feeling?

I always wondered how the homeless attend to their body waste. One day I was at McDonald’s in San Francisco, California & I saw a homeless man walk & buy a sandwich, & later go to the washroom. I was told that the restaurants can’t deny customers food & use of their washroom because of their back ground or attire… there are for all intents and purposes, public toilets! .

Two days back, we went for a walk late night after dinner. Weather was nice & streets were not crowded. Right opposite to Queensboro Bridge, finally I saw how they manage to sleep at night, at least few & when the weather is good. On the threshold of one of the shops, 2 individuals slept in close proximity fully covered with a sheet. And strangely, rested just above their head, was a brown leather bound bible with Holy Bible written in golden on it. I think that’s what Hope really means. When the world says give up, hope whispers, try one more time. Just across, opposite the entrance to tramway, on the rows of benches sat a man with a bottle of alcohol & flask practicing, perhaps a new tune, on his guitar. At a distance sat another, eating his dinner listening to music at the quiet of the night… he actually did not look like a homeless man. At the far end sat a homeless lady perhaps waiting for everyone, including us, to vanish from there so that she could sleep peacefully. The positive yet saddest thing was that even though she was homeless she had combed her hair very neat & her belongings in the cart were well folded & neatly stacked, maybe reminiscent to her past…. She reminded me of what a lady said to me when I visited a thrift market earlier… “when the country had better days, I worked at Pier 26 & I would buy expensive stuff & now I am selling them for throw away prices for a living”… the tone in which she said was very touching…. No one knows what is in store for anyone tomorrow…

My younger daughter says, mum why you are so interested in homeless people…. I don’t know why they always catch my eyes perhaps because once in my life, at a distant past I wore their shoes … thanks to Saddam & the so called Big Guns who stirrup troubles, as if possessed by some evil spirit to aid on something which doesn’t have an ending in the horizon!

Sometimes I see so many contrasts in one place. Like the other day when we were walking across the Rockefeller University, along the Hudson River bank, I saw brand new barbeque grill abandoned & loads of waste in the bin, may be leftovers from previous night partying. Right opposite to that slept a homeless woman in a neon green reflective safety west …… she slept so peacefully that even the traffic on the highway besides did not deter her sleep. Little further, on another bench, sat a well-dressed young woman (seemed hungover from the previous night) with a cell phone trying to type a message & half way through she fell back asleep, still clutching the phone. How she got there is beyond my understanding. When we returned, the young woman was still sleeping… the older woman was eating something that seemed like pancake from foil paper. Next to her stood a man eyeing everyone & when I saw his face, he was moving his tongue awkwardly, like snakes move their tongue… it reminded me of an old proverb: Even if the tamarind tree is old, the tamarind is still sour!! I wondered why the hell am I keep coming across so many strange characters & events?

To end with, here is a delicate story narrated by a Real Estate agent…. It seems once a couple approached her saying they wanted a home with just two specific requirements… the flat should be facing the main road & should have a large window. They did not bother if the flat was old or fittings/furnishing were broken as long as the two criteria were met. The reason they wanted the flat was that they wanted to keep their dog close to their work place so that they could come & visit the dog whenever possible. While they were away, the dog should not stress, bored or depressed… hum… I can say that some dogs are luckier & better loved than humans…

My DIL tells me that the government gives them shelter, food & clothing… but some people just don’t apply or collect. I have no idea how far the government aid is stretched but end of the day Super Power is just a virtual status which sounds fruitless once you know or live the sad reality like the empty shell of a hermit crab. From Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, every country is the same only the percentage differs!! After all Shangri-La is yet to be discovered & there is no such thing as Utopia!!

Tippu Sultan – Kodavas – British : A Triangle of skepticism. Part 1: Who exactly was Tippu/Tipu Sultan? Is his ghost still floating in Karnataka?

My inferences are based on the cruelty meted out on certain communities in the Southern Deccan peninsular by Tipu Sultan (Fateh Ali Khan), the so called “Tiger of Mysore”… the atrocities he committed on innocent people including my own Kodava community are beyond words. This is an attempt to show that brutality was his passion, nothing else as claimed by some people who try to portray him otherwise….Being a Kodava, I have learnt that humanity, compassion, love.. are the face/reflection of God, there is only one God but there are many ways to reach that GOD.

I am dedicating this article in honour of those innocent victims who lost their lives & had their families thrown in to misery for no fault of theirs & in fond memory of one of my HEROs, my adopted “Tottajja” Biddatanda Appanna (I will write about him sometime in the near future…. along with main question Tippu-Kodvas-British connection). After reading this article, if it touched you in anyway PLEASE take a minute on November 1st (Karnataka Rajostava Day) at 9 am each year wherever you are to pray for those beautiful souls not only in Karnataka but all around the world who lost their lives to such barbarism.

What prompted me to write this? One of my colleagues BB told me that he wants to visit Coorg with his family & when he checked around he came to know that Kodavas hate Tippu Sultan & likes/loyal to Britishers… there was a sly smile on the face! Well I was taken back… I said I am a cent-percent Coorg & been for generations… I never heard of this comparison & I can tell you Kodavas definitely dislike or loath Tippu Sultan for the atrocities he committed on our forefathers…, a Satan in the guise of human who did not really succeed fully in destroying us despite his torture & killing perhaps because we were brave & too stubborn for Tippu’s palates!! My forefathers considered him a psychopath… an outright mass murderer.

The old gramophone sang again,… “yeh that means you hate him”… I said “NO we don’t hate him because he simply is not WORTH it… My colleague still could not understand why I don’t accept that we hate Tippu!! Then BB said if he is bad then why does Karnataka Government want to celebrate his birthday? I retorted, didn’t I tell you Tippu Sultan was worthless?!? Not even worthy of hatredness… That’s when I realized that as a grandmother I have to write what I heard, seen & read for our future generation… I wish I could go back in time & bring the details from the horse’s mouth.

First let me write briefly about Tippu Sultan…..

Where do I begin… he was one of those freak accidents of nature in an Evil way. It’s hard to describe if he were human or manifestation of terror itself!! A small, plump man with a round face with black moustache, bejeweled clothing & ornaments. He was forceful, warlike, ruthless, dogged mind, blood thirsty & a hard core liar. The only credit I would ever give him is that he was a military man & his willingness to fight with the Britishers who had a larger army & were riding on a string of success across the sub-continent!! However, his wonton cruelty & ausuric/demonic behavior surpassed all other qualities.

To my understanding & years of personal experience, Islam is a Religion of peace & giving. So how can he be one? He reeked of brutality… he spoke, ate, drank & slept on violence. Tipu was the diplomat for the Devil.. Nexus of evil… Somehow somewhere he just managed to jump from FIRE to DIRT! God has given thinking & discriminating capacity to each individual &, when anyone acts in monstrous way it is their individual action & perhaps bad karma from past life.

His atrocities were so gruesome even holocaust sound like a minor accident!! Just one gory description of his army by the world-famous Portuguese traveler, Fr. Barthoelomeo, could skip a heartbeat & makes one wonder how could someone be so inhumane?!? When you read, for a while pretend you were in 1780s & 1790s a happy man with a fine, happy family… Read the first para again.. close your eyes, take a deep breath & try to relive the experience… with you as a witness,

In his book Voyage to East Indies Fr. Barthoelomeo writes: “First a corps of 30,000 barbarians who butchered everybody on the way… followed by the field-gun unit under the French Commander, M. Lally… Tipu was riding on an elephant behind which another army of 30,000 soldiers followed. Most of the men & women were hanged in Calicut; first mothers were hanged with their children tied to necks of mothers. That barbarian Tipu Sultan tied the naked Christians & Hindus to the legs of elephants & made the elephants to move around till the bodies of the helpless victims were torn to pieces. Temples & churches were ordered to be burned down, desecrated & destroyed. Christian & Hindu women were forced to marry Mohammadans & similarly their men were forced to marry Mohammadan women. Those Christians, who refused to be honoured with Islam, were ordered to be killed by hanging immediately. These atrocities were told to me by the victims of Tipu Sultan who escaped from the clutches of his army & reached Varappuzha, which is the centre of Carmichael Christian Mission. I myself helped many victims to cross the Varappuzha River by boats.”

I know there is no further writing required… yet I will continue. Sadly “The world suffers a lot, not because of the violence of bad people, but because of the silence of good people!”

Was Tippu really an Indian? His faceless grandfather came hitchhiking perhaps as a porter with some businessman seeking livelihood to India from somewhere in Persia (his origin is not certain!!). Hyder himself claimed descent from the Arabs. So that makes Tippu just a Second generation migrant. So he was as much a foreigner as British ever were!! Other than the colour of the skin what else he have in common? OMG…. that’s why he could mercilessly kill or punish Indians, waste flora & fauna. He was an immigrant’s grandson; anyway Indians were not really his blood, so kindness was not required! I think His major problem was he had faulty wiring in his brain.

Tippu’s father Hyder Ali was born in Budhikote in Kolar district to an unknown father…  & Hyder’s birth date is also not clear. Tipu’s migrant grandfather was a care-taker in the local mosque. Being poor he had no education & managed to become a foot soldier. As a favour for saving the life of Mysore ruler, he was promoted to the rank of Nayak, a kick start upgrading in life,.  Being street smart he learnt the art of war & soon excelled in military war tactics… with the first opportunity he managed to topple the king in deceit & became de facto ruler of Mysore. So he became the ring leader of betrayal in the saga of Mysore!!

Hyder was too busy with expansionist policy & unlike his son he did not have much time to think about bulldozing people….. but he still had a very strong street rules imbedded in him… kill or get killed.  Bowring writes that Haider Ali was equally ferocious in the treatment of his enemies. For example: When he defeated Khande Rao, the Hindu general, he kept him in an iron cage  like a tota (parrot) & fed him rice & milk till the end of his life. What contrast between both the characters!!

However, Tipu had tasted comforts as his father Hyder Ali was progressing in life. With the new found wealth & power of his father he had the material comforts & privilege of education to certain extent but never had a proper upbringing with his father around. Most of his military training came from his father’s friend Khan who stayed with him till the end. Hence he lacked morals in his life & if a person can’t determine right from wrong then he lacks empathy. First five years of the child’s life is very important where the child gets the love & good teaching of the parents. For a boy presence of father is very important. Most probably based on what he heard about his father all that he wanted to was to please his father, aggrandize more & get appreciation from his father. Even though it is said that when he was 15 he used to go with father on military missions, question remains how much attention he really got from his father? And also where was the time for some decent education?

Founding of Mysore State The disintegration of the Mughal Empire was accelerated after Nadir Shah sacked Delhi in 1739. The Marathas under the Peshwa Baji Rao had unwisely decided to march towards the North instead of consolidating its power in the South. Baji Rao felt that the future of Maratha power lay in conquering Delhi. In Baji Rao’s words: Let us strike at the trunk of the withering tree & the branches will fall themselves. Maratha flag should fly from Krishna to Indus. It had adverse consequences in the South. The state of Mysore was ruled by the Wadiyar dynasty from the 14th century. Mysore was a viceroyalty of the Vijayanagar Empire. However between 1731-34, the government of the state was usurped by 2-brothers, Devraj & Nanjaraj who reduced the royalty to a puppet. Haider Ali then was only a horseman in the service of Nanjaraj. Between 1750-60, Haider Ali came steadily into prominence; as Mysore was invaded by the Marathas in 1753, 1757 & 1759. Nizam-ul-Mulk regarded Mysore as Mughal territory & the state was drawn within the circle of conflict between the Peshwa & the Nizam.

When the Marathas invaded Mysore in 1757, the Mysore Raja Nanjaraj agreed to pay them Rs.32 lakhs but could pay only six lakhs & for the remaining amount, he handed over 15-taluks as security. The Marathas came again in 1758, Haider took personal responsibility for the payment of arrears & he was also placed in charge of the field army. Haider Ali took advantage of the uncertain conditions prevailing in the state & assumed all powers of the king under the cover of being an officer of the Hindu ruler. Haider Ali died of cancer.  In 1786 Tipu assumed the title of Padshah or king. Thereafter he began to call himself ‘the resplendent presence’ & his army was designated as ‘the holy camp’. His government was called the ‘God given State’. The climax of his arrogance was reached when he ordered that the ‘Khutbah’ or daily prayer be read in his name. The name of Devanhalli, was changed to Yasufabad. The castle of Chitaldurg was changed to Farukh-yab Hisar or the propitiously acquired castle et al. {Lewin B. Bowing: Rulers of India – Haider Ali & Tipu Sultan page 209 (210)}.

His father Hyder’s first wife suffered from dropsy (oedema) during child birth & remained paralyzed till her death. So when his second wife (Tippu’s mother Fatima, aka Fakhr-un-Nissa, daughter of the keeper of Cuddapah) was pregnant, they paid a visit to the tomb of Saint Tipu Mastan Aulia in Arcot seeking blessing for a son & safe delivery. Unfortunately other than the name, he never inherited any goodness from the great Sufi Saint!!

Even Hydrabad Nizam refused to give his daughter to Tippu’s family because of Tipu’s heritage & in defiance Tipu got a bride from the Arakkal Family for his son Abdul Khaliq. Once an Arayankulangra Nairs, Arakkal family still practiced Nair Matriarchal System!! They have the most unique conversions story ever… something like a Bollywood movie… I will write towards the end.