Bengaluru: Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy announced that the first university of the State- University of Mysore (UoM) will be named after Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar.
Speaking after inaugurating the Dasara cultural festivals in front of the world famous Mysuru palace, he stated that family member of Wadiyar dynasty, Pramoda Devi Wadiyar requested him to name the university after Nalvadi Wadiyar.
“The contribution of the Wadiyars to the state is immense and invaluable. So, I have decided to keep the name of Nalvadi to the University,” he announced.
It can be recalled that Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV, who is popularly known as the Nalvadi Wadiyar, was the twenty-fourth Maharaja of the Mysuru kingdom. He ruled the kingdom from 1894 until his death in 1940. According to an estimation, at the time of his death, he was one of the world’s wealthiest person, with a personal fortune estimated in 1940 to be worth US$400 million, equivalent to $56 billion at 2010 prices.
Nalvadi was born in the year 1884 and considered as the architect of the modern Karnataka. He built several dams including KRS dam across the river Cauvery and revolutionised various sectors including industries.
The University of Mysore is the first university of the state and was founded on July 27, 1916.
About Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar
Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar, also known as Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV was the 24th Maharaja of the Kingdom of Mysore (comprising Bangalore, Chitradurga, Hassan, Kadur, Kolar, Mysore, Mandya, Shimoga, and Tumkur), from 1894 till his death in 1940. He was well known for his progressive and development work. He also banned child marriage for girls below the age of 8 and gave special importance for the education of the girl child and scholarships for widowed girls.
During his reign, the Kingdom of Mysore saw an all-round development. Apart from the University of Mysore, the Maharaja established several other projects such as the Hydro Electric Project at Shivanasamudra Falls, Minto Eye Hospital Banglore, Karnataka’s first dam Vani Vilasa Sagara Chitradurga, Mysore Legislative Council (1907), Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru (1909), Mysore Boy Scouts(1909), State Bank of Mysore (1913), Mysore Agricultural Residential School, Bengaluru (1913), Kannada Sahitya Parishat, Bengaluru (1915), Visvesvaraya Iron and Steel Plant (VISL), Bhadravathi started as Mysore Iron Works in 1923, Mysore Medical College (1924), The Mysore Chamber of Commerce (1916), Hindusthan Aircraft, Bengaluru (1940), later renamed as Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and many more.
