Iconic bedchamber sword of Tipu Sultan, formerly owned by Vijay Mallya, auctioned for Rs 145 crore
London: The renowned bedchamber sword of Tipu Sultan, which was auctioned by Bonhams in London on Tuesday, had an intriguing past. It was revealed that the sword was once owned by Vijay Mallya, the fugitive liquor baron. During a 2018 hearing at the London High Court, Mallya's lawyer claimed to be unaware of the sword's whereabouts, reported News 9.
The historical significance of the sword was confirmed by researcher and historian Nidhin Olikara, who stated, "This is the very same sword that Vijay Mallya had acquired in 2004.
According to the report, Mallya purchased it for a price of 1.5 crore rupees, and yesterday, the sword was auctioned for a staggering 145 crores." In 2016, a consortium of 13 Indian banks had attempted to prevent the London High Court from lifting a freeze order on Mallya's global assets. In the same year, Mallya had mentioned that he had given away the sword due to the ill fortune it had brought to his family.
When News9 contacted Bonhams, the UK-based auction house, to inquire about the sword's previous owners. However, the auction house declined to provide any information regarding the past or present owner, citing their privacy policy. Enrica Medugno, Sale Coordinator at Bonhams, stated, "We are not authorized to disclose the identity of our sellers and buyers."
Both the sword purchased by Vijay Mallya in 2004 and the one recently auctioned share similar inscriptions. The inscription on the recently auctioned Tipu Sultan sword reads:
"THE SWORD OF TIPPOO SULTAUN (SOURCE: BONHAMS) Found in his Bed Chamber after SERINGAPATAM was taken by Storm 4th May 1799 and Presented by the ARMY to MAJOR GENERAL BAIRD… as a token of their high opinion of his Courage and Conduct in the Assault which he Commanded, and in which TIPPOO SULTAUN was slain." The spine of the sword bears the inscription "shamshir-e malik'' or "The sword of the king," while the hilt is engraved with "ya allah! ya nasir! ya fattah! ya nasir! ya mu'in! ya zahir!" which translates to "O Allah!, O the Helper! O the Ever-opener! O the Aider! O The Helper! O The Evident!".
The sword itself was looted from Tipu Sultan's palace by troops of the East India Company after the fall of Seringapatam, where the valiant Tiger of Mysore met his demise in battle. Over the years, the sword has changed hands multiple times before finding its way to Vijay Mallya.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
If India has 10 Abdul Kalams, we can nail R&D: Former DRDO scientist Ramarao
Bengaluru, May 11 (PTI): If India has 10 Abdul Kalams, we can really bring about a change in the way we approach research and development, said former DRDO scientist Prahlada Ramarao on Sunday.
Bengaluru-based Ramarao was part of the missile-building team put together by India's "Missile Man" and former President A P J Abdul Kalam.
The indigenous surface-to-air missile system, famously called Akash, that he and his team worked on for nearly 15 years, since 1983, is having its moment of glory, as it withstood the onslaught of Pakistani missiles and drones, especially on May 8 and 9.
"The biggest difficulty for India is that we are individually good, but cannot work together as a team. Kalam was very good at addressing this. He taught me how to bring the energy of individuals synergistically to achieve a purpose. That is why I feel, if we have 10 Kalams, India will truly lead," Ramarao told PTI.
Ramarao said he was only 34 years old when he was made the project director for the surface-to-air missile project, originally called SAM X and later renamed as Akash system.
"To make it happen, we had to make hardware, software prototypes, and then test it out. When it didn't work, go back, review the design, change the design and so it went on for two, three iterations. Only after 15 years, we could show that to the reluctant Army, who never really believed we could pull this off," he said.
The scientist said India is now in a better place, and the young scientists today are better equipped to arm India with indigenous innovations.
"I am sure if you want to make another missile system, it will take maybe five years because the foundation has been laid," Ramarao said.
He also pointed out that the capability of Indian manufacturers too has grown tremendously.
"Earlier, say around 1984-85, Indian industries were doing what is called build to print. Then we moved on to build to design and then build to concept. Now, Indian industries are so smart that they can build, if you just give a concept," he said.
Although he admitted that India has matured in the last 25 years when it comes to guided missiles and rockets, it still has a long way to go to claim absolute dominion in that.
Just as we improved, the technology capability of all our adversaries too have improved, he pointed out.
"I interact with a number of young students. They are highly competent and very, very ambitious. They want to do something different, something fantastic. All they need now is direction and support," Ramarao said.
The scientist said it is now up to the policymakers to harness this huge resource for the good of the country.
"We certainly need someone like Kalam, who managed to inspire a motley team like ours, young and inexperienced, to pull off the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme, one of the India's ambitious projects that is serving India well even today," Ramarao said.
