A king dies....
On 30th November, did we even know that the last Maharaja of princely India, the last living king of the British India, passed away. A king had died and we did not even hear a whisper.
The 95-year old king of Tigiria in Cuttack, Brajraj Khyatriya Birabara Champati Singh Mohapatra died in a derelict hut over a hill. He was a poor man, living on the generosity of the villagers around him. But he was well liked and famed for his generosity. He was an alumnus of Rajkumar College in Raipur and being a lifetime member of the Governing body, he received an annual payment of Rs.50,000. This he always gave away to those who needed it more than him.
Unlike a King whose pursuit was conquer more and more, he had accepted his situation and was content with whatever little he had. Even when the villagers gave him food, he never took more than what was required. Tigria, the place where he and his ancestors ruled, was small – spread over just nine square miles. The best part was that his village never had a jail – a symbolic jail was raised with four pillars but no walls. The guilty was placed there, free to go but for him the biggest punishment was from the King – if convicted he would never ever speak to the convict again. And that rejection was enough to keep most away from crime.
Well, things have changed now. Values have changed. We no longer recognize any king but we all are in the constant pursuit to live life Kingsize!