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Synthesis in Tamil Nadu: A Maharashtrian-Tamil Prince who is Secular (like his ancestors)

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Synthesis in Tamil Nadu: A Maharashtrian-Tamil Prince who is Secular (like his ancestors) Empty Synthesis in Tamil Nadu: A Maharashtrian-Tamil Prince who is Secular (like his ancestors)

Post by Guest Tue Mar 21, 2017 3:17 pm

Babaji Rajah Bhonsle Chattrapathy, 34-year-old heir to the Maratha house, and a man acutely proud of his heritage, is battling to save it from literally falling apart. Unlike the North, Tamil Nadu has very few palaces. The Thanjavur Palace, one among the few royal dwellings in the State, is an impressive structure set in 120 acres. First built in the 15th Century, it was added on by successive generations of rulers. Since Thanjavur became a British residency in 1885 and the rulers were not granted a privy purse, the palace has nothing of the sweep and dimensions of the other grander princely houses in the country. But it is a lovely structure which is now owned by the Public Works Department (PWD) and the State Archaeology Department. To one's amazement certain rooms in it are used by the Government as godowns to store paddy!

The prince is a man in step with the times with a degree in engineering but has chosen to be prince "full time" in order to play his role properly. "I'm hereditary trustee of 88 temples," he tells you. Thanjavur, besides being the cradle of art and culture is also a most vibrant spiritual centre. The magnificently built temples in this region call the devotee and aesthete again and again, the crowning glory being the Brihadeeswara temple (the Big Temple). Built by Raja Raja Chola (985-1012 A.D.), the structure that soars to a height of 64.8 metres, is a mind blowing spectacle even for a regular visitor. The prince and his family members worship here every day. The secular tradition handed down by his ancestors ensures that Babaji supports churches and mosques in the region.


http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/mag/2003/02/02/stories/2003020200500800.htm

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