TRAGEDY OF RAJANNA AKA SRINIVASA RANGACHAR
TRAGEDY OF RAJANNA
One day early in the afternoon Rajanna died at his second daughter’s redisence situated on the Parakal Mutt Road of Mysore. His son Dorai had come there by chance for the Mysore Gymkhana Races in which his horse had taken part.. Immediately Dorai arranged for the transport of the body of Rajanna to their native place Sathegal which is nearer to Sivasamudram in the then Madras Presidency. Dorai also made arrangements for transporting about 20 to 25 orthodox Srivaishnava Brahmins. Dorai sent words that they will be paid handsomely for their service at Sathegal,,As Dorai was quite well to do and as he promised good payment for the services rendered Brahmins came in; droves.
He also arranged for purohit that is purohit for the perfoming of the ceremony connected with death and cooks to take care of these Brahmins along with big vessels. Meanwhile
Rajanna’s second daughter who was at Mysore traveled along with this group. The first daughter and wife of Rajanna who were at Bangalore also reached Sathegal.
This entourage reached Sathyagala by night. The orthodox Brahmins were accomadated in the other vacant house of Dorai. These Brahmins went to the Cauvery river nearby and took bath and performed their evening rituals. The cooks in the meanwhile prepared some snacks . After this the Brahmins went to sleep. The next day morning Dorai got one bullock cart load of Sandal wood .from the forest. Dorai was a sort of Don in that region and neither the forest department . nor revenue department. and not even the police dare take action against him. If any bullock cart ccarries something and the bullock cart driver says that it is Dorai's the bullock cart will have a free time.
All the Brahmins took bath in the cauvery river and after abolution took part in the rituals connected with the dead.. The Purohit or the priest started the ceremony and in one of the dry almost useless dry land which was still in the name of Rajanna a pyre of sandal wood was built and after due ceremony the pyre was lit by Dorai. The very next day ashes were collected from the cremation; ground and disposed off in the Cauvery river. These Brahmins got good honourariums. They once again went to river cauvery and had their bath and changed the sacred thread and after morning abolutions and rituals they returned to their lodge. They had sumptuous lunch . In the evening the Brahmins made themselves into two groups. One group recited the Tamil poems praising Lord Narayana (Nalayira Divya Prabhandam) and other group reciting the sacred asnskrit text (Veda).
For the morning rituals the Brahmins were paid re 1/- and for the recitation Rs 10/- every day. This was a princely sum during those days. These Brahmins were looked after well and had their snacks lunch and dinner .
After all the ceremony for 11 days were over there is one ceremony where different things are offered as gift. The sandal(foot wear) is offered so that Rajanns will not have to walk barefoot in the other world, stag mark umberella so that Rajanna will walk in the shade, silver small vessel weighing about one kilo filled with water so that Rajanna does not suffer from thirst, bed so that he can get a bed in the other world to take rest, a black lactating cow with calf so that he can drink milk and other offerings of cash for all the omissions and commissions during Rajanna’s life in this world.. Dorai did not leave any stone unturned and obeyed all the instructions of the Priest.
On the day of Vaikunta Samaradhane a twenty course lunch was arranged wihich included four sweets and 4 savouries . All those who participated especially Brahmins from Mysore got one pair of dhotis and good honourarium. Dorai also provided return transport to those who had come from Mysore . He also paid hand somely to the cooks and others.
For many days to come all praise was there for Dorai from orthodox Srivaishnava Brahmins as to how he conducted the rituals and the amount spent by him without any reservation.
“One should have done lot of merit (Sin) to get a son like Dorai.
Dorai is really a Punyavan (Paapi). See how much he spent to see his father goes to heaven or say Vaikuntam directly .”
Please replace the words in the bracket instead of what is written before it. This is real Dorai!!!
THE REAL STORY OF RAJANNA.
Rajanna was village accountant of Sathegal village which ws under the jurisdiction of Madras Presidence. This area was also referred ad “Kumpani Seemai” locally. Rajanna’s forefathers had migrated to one Banathahalli village from somewhere in Tamilnadu .. Not much is known about it. Rajanna’s sisters husband was the village accountant of Sathegal. He did not have any issues . He transferred the rights of the village accountant to Rajanna and also gifted his lands to Rajanna. Rajanna had passed S S L C during those days. Rajanna knew tamil,kannada and English. The language tamil was the administrative language of Sathegal area.. He was well versed in drafting sale and other deeds and was quite knowledgeable in revenue,forest and criminal laws.
So most of the villagers used to frequent his house and used to pay some amount as honourarium. He never procastinated in his work. He always used to get RED Entries in his service book every year which was a highest reward the village accountant gets. He also acquired some property on his own and became quite rich..He had a good horse carriage in which he used to visit the taluk head quarters Kollegal whenver required. Tweice he fell ill and one of his close friend and relative suggested that he should divide the property or gift the property to his 2 daughters and his lone son and also to his wife so that there will be no problem when he is no longer there. So he took the decision to to gift the property to his two daughters and wife and his lone son. He retained a dry land of about 1 acre which was barren and had lots of stone intrusions.
Now the trouble started to Rajanna!!!
After some time Rajanna fell ill and this time a bit seriously. He was taken to Mysore where his second daughter who was a child widow had purchased the house of Prof M H Krishna situated in the Parakal mutt road. Mysore. In the beginning everything was alright. As the illness worsened they got a boy aged 12 years belonging to an agricultural family from the village and he was asked to take care of the nursing duties of Rajanna. . He was shifted to a small room . A small wooden cot with an old bedding over which a rubber sheet was spread and over which a bed spread was spread was given. An old blanket with an old bed spread was attached to the blanket and this served the purpose of a covering sheet. Originally a doctor used to visit Rajanna and this was stopped . A pharmacist working in a Govt hospital was asked to visit once in a week and he used to prescribe some tablets or other. Mada the young boy from the village was to take the bedpan and change the soiled bedspread.. The family members never visited him as the disease progressed. If any visitors or relatives came to visit Rajanna they were asked to peep into the room and talk to Rajanna. Even at the door of the room it used to deliver ubnoxious smell and Rajanna used to tell them as to how his own children and wife are not caring for him. Some times Mada used to give a floor cleaning to the room using phenoyel . we should also remember that during those periods Pencillin was not known. Rajanna started having bedsore and it became septic. Because of pain he used to shout and tell Mada to get him a lwayer so that he can bequeath all the lands which were given to his wife and children to Mada who was taking care of him.
For all this none bothered and never ever even peeped into the room.
Gradually Rajanna lost his will to fight the disease and died. Rajanna was not taken care of well when he was alive, but as I described in my earlier narration his son performed ideal ritual after Rajanna died which was of no use to Rajanna.
This is the true story. Rajanna was the husband of our mother’s paternal aunt. He was also related to Mr Sampath Kumarachar father in law of Mohan.
One day early in the afternoon Rajanna died at his second daughter’s redisence situated on the Parakal Mutt Road of Mysore. His son Dorai had come there by chance for the Mysore Gymkhana Races in which his horse had taken part.. Immediately Dorai arranged for the transport of the body of Rajanna to their native place Sathegal which is nearer to Sivasamudram in the then Madras Presidency. Dorai also made arrangements for transporting about 20 to 25 orthodox Srivaishnava Brahmins. Dorai sent words that they will be paid handsomely for their service at Sathegal,,As Dorai was quite well to do and as he promised good payment for the services rendered Brahmins came in; droves.
He also arranged for purohit that is purohit for the perfoming of the ceremony connected with death and cooks to take care of these Brahmins along with big vessels. Meanwhile
Rajanna’s second daughter who was at Mysore traveled along with this group. The first daughter and wife of Rajanna who were at Bangalore also reached Sathegal.
This entourage reached Sathyagala by night. The orthodox Brahmins were accomadated in the other vacant house of Dorai. These Brahmins went to the Cauvery river nearby and took bath and performed their evening rituals. The cooks in the meanwhile prepared some snacks . After this the Brahmins went to sleep. The next day morning Dorai got one bullock cart load of Sandal wood .from the forest. Dorai was a sort of Don in that region and neither the forest department . nor revenue department. and not even the police dare take action against him. If any bullock cart ccarries something and the bullock cart driver says that it is Dorai's the bullock cart will have a free time.
All the Brahmins took bath in the cauvery river and after abolution took part in the rituals connected with the dead.. The Purohit or the priest started the ceremony and in one of the dry almost useless dry land which was still in the name of Rajanna a pyre of sandal wood was built and after due ceremony the pyre was lit by Dorai. The very next day ashes were collected from the cremation; ground and disposed off in the Cauvery river. These Brahmins got good honourariums. They once again went to river cauvery and had their bath and changed the sacred thread and after morning abolutions and rituals they returned to their lodge. They had sumptuous lunch . In the evening the Brahmins made themselves into two groups. One group recited the Tamil poems praising Lord Narayana (Nalayira Divya Prabhandam) and other group reciting the sacred asnskrit text (Veda).
For the morning rituals the Brahmins were paid re 1/- and for the recitation Rs 10/- every day. This was a princely sum during those days. These Brahmins were looked after well and had their snacks lunch and dinner .
After all the ceremony for 11 days were over there is one ceremony where different things are offered as gift. The sandal(foot wear) is offered so that Rajanns will not have to walk barefoot in the other world, stag mark umberella so that Rajanna will walk in the shade, silver small vessel weighing about one kilo filled with water so that Rajanna does not suffer from thirst, bed so that he can get a bed in the other world to take rest, a black lactating cow with calf so that he can drink milk and other offerings of cash for all the omissions and commissions during Rajanna’s life in this world.. Dorai did not leave any stone unturned and obeyed all the instructions of the Priest.
On the day of Vaikunta Samaradhane a twenty course lunch was arranged wihich included four sweets and 4 savouries . All those who participated especially Brahmins from Mysore got one pair of dhotis and good honourarium. Dorai also provided return transport to those who had come from Mysore . He also paid hand somely to the cooks and others.
For many days to come all praise was there for Dorai from orthodox Srivaishnava Brahmins as to how he conducted the rituals and the amount spent by him without any reservation.
“One should have done lot of merit (Sin) to get a son like Dorai.
Dorai is really a Punyavan (Paapi). See how much he spent to see his father goes to heaven or say Vaikuntam directly .”
Please replace the words in the bracket instead of what is written before it. This is real Dorai!!!
THE REAL STORY OF RAJANNA.
Rajanna was village accountant of Sathegal village which ws under the jurisdiction of Madras Presidence. This area was also referred ad “Kumpani Seemai” locally. Rajanna’s forefathers had migrated to one Banathahalli village from somewhere in Tamilnadu .. Not much is known about it. Rajanna’s sisters husband was the village accountant of Sathegal. He did not have any issues . He transferred the rights of the village accountant to Rajanna and also gifted his lands to Rajanna. Rajanna had passed S S L C during those days. Rajanna knew tamil,kannada and English. The language tamil was the administrative language of Sathegal area.. He was well versed in drafting sale and other deeds and was quite knowledgeable in revenue,forest and criminal laws.
So most of the villagers used to frequent his house and used to pay some amount as honourarium. He never procastinated in his work. He always used to get RED Entries in his service book every year which was a highest reward the village accountant gets. He also acquired some property on his own and became quite rich..He had a good horse carriage in which he used to visit the taluk head quarters Kollegal whenver required. Tweice he fell ill and one of his close friend and relative suggested that he should divide the property or gift the property to his 2 daughters and his lone son and also to his wife so that there will be no problem when he is no longer there. So he took the decision to to gift the property to his two daughters and wife and his lone son. He retained a dry land of about 1 acre which was barren and had lots of stone intrusions.
Now the trouble started to Rajanna!!!
After some time Rajanna fell ill and this time a bit seriously. He was taken to Mysore where his second daughter who was a child widow had purchased the house of Prof M H Krishna situated in the Parakal mutt road. Mysore. In the beginning everything was alright. As the illness worsened they got a boy aged 12 years belonging to an agricultural family from the village and he was asked to take care of the nursing duties of Rajanna. . He was shifted to a small room . A small wooden cot with an old bedding over which a rubber sheet was spread and over which a bed spread was spread was given. An old blanket with an old bed spread was attached to the blanket and this served the purpose of a covering sheet. Originally a doctor used to visit Rajanna and this was stopped . A pharmacist working in a Govt hospital was asked to visit once in a week and he used to prescribe some tablets or other. Mada the young boy from the village was to take the bedpan and change the soiled bedspread.. The family members never visited him as the disease progressed. If any visitors or relatives came to visit Rajanna they were asked to peep into the room and talk to Rajanna. Even at the door of the room it used to deliver ubnoxious smell and Rajanna used to tell them as to how his own children and wife are not caring for him. Some times Mada used to give a floor cleaning to the room using phenoyel . we should also remember that during those periods Pencillin was not known. Rajanna started having bedsore and it became septic. Because of pain he used to shout and tell Mada to get him a lwayer so that he can bequeath all the lands which were given to his wife and children to Mada who was taking care of him.
For all this none bothered and never ever even peeped into the room.
Gradually Rajanna lost his will to fight the disease and died. Rajanna was not taken care of well when he was alive, but as I described in my earlier narration his son performed ideal ritual after Rajanna died which was of no use to Rajanna.
This is the true story. Rajanna was the husband of our mother’s paternal aunt. He was also related to Mr Sampath Kumarachar father in law of Mohan.
posted by N.S.Char at 7:35 AM
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