Chennai launch of Vikram sampath's Splendours of Royal Mysore
Vikram who did his MSc (Hons) Mathematics and BE (Hons) Electrical & Electronics Engineering under the dual degree scheme from BITS Pilani draws his inspiration from Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison quote - If there is a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, you must be the one to write it.
One of the most definitive accounts of the Wodeyar Dynasty, Vikrams’s book ‘Splendours of Royal Mysore The Untold Story of the Wodeyars’ sketches the long and fascinating regime of the Maharajas of Mysore replete with wars, palace intrigues, romance, valour and deceit.
The book revisits the ups and downs of the dynasty over 600 years starting from the genesis in AD 1399 to the age of glory under Raja Wodeyar, Ranadhira Kanthirava Narasaraja Wodeyar and Chikkadevaraja Wodeyar down to the times of spineless monarchs who let the reigns of the kingdom slip into the hands of powerful ministers.
The book brings out the details of how Mysore under Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan
emerged as a veritable nightmare for the British East India Company and then moves on with the Wodeyars rule till the time of India’s independence. The highlights of the book include the growth of Mysore as a cultural capital of Southern India along with Tanjore (present day Thanjavur in Tamilnadu) in areas of classical music, dance, folk traditions, painting and literature during the six centuries period.
The Chennai launch of Proud to be a BITSian Vikram Sampath authored book “Splendours of Royal Mysore The Untold Story of the Wodeyars took place in a colourful function organized by BITS Pilani Alumni Association (BITSAA) Chennai Chapter on Friday May 30, 2008 in the Skills Theatre, Besant Nagar Chennai. Dr Smt Vyjayanthimala Bali who needs no introduction, historian Shri S Muthiah, Professor Emeritus and advisor to BITS Pilani Dr S Venkateswaran were the chief guests for the book launch function which started off with an invocation rendered by young and upcoming carnatic vocalist Sikkil Gurucharan.
Reading of passages from the book was done by theatre personality Mr T M Karthik and TV personality Ms Anu Ananth. The launch function included the screening of the documentary film on the history and ethos of the princely state. The function ended with a flute concert by Kalaimamani Smt Sikkil Mala Chandrasekar daughter of the famed Sikkil sisters.
Vikram Sampath like every other BITSian is indeed a dreamer who can find his way through the night of a new moon day and see the dawn before the rest of the world.
About BITS Pilani: One among the top ranking universities in India today, Birla Institute of Technology and Science - BITS Pilani which has the reputation of pioneering the online examinations for admissions through the pathbreaking BITSAT and setting a benchmark in industry university collaborations offers degrees in various disciplines presently at Pilani, Dubai, Goa campuses and in the short future at Hyderabad campus apart from an array of work integrated learning programmes for HRD of a vast spectrum of Indian corporates. The alumni of the Institute are spread across the globe from Australia to America.
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