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.
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Taj Mahal top earning ASI monument through ticket sales from FY19-20 to FY23-24: Govt
New Delhi, Apr 3 (PTI): The iconic Taj Mahal in Agra earned the "highest income" through the sale of tickets among the ASI-protected monuments from FY19-20 to FY23-24, according to data shared by the government.
Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat shared the data in a written response to a query in Rajya Sabha.
He was asked the amount that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has received from selling entry tickets to various monuments in the last five years, year-wise and monument-wise; and the monuments that have received the highest income through selling entry tickets in the last five years.
In his response, the minister shared the data in a tabular form for cycles of financial years ranging from FY19-20 to FY23-24.
According to the data, Taj Mahal earned the top slot for all five years.
The Mughal-era architectural wonder was commissioned by Emperor Shah Jehan in the 17th century and it is considered one of the most beautiful buildings in the world.
In FY19-20, the Agra Fort in Agra and Qutub Minar in Delhi were in the second and third positions.
In FY20-21, the Group of Monuments Mamallapuram in Tamil Nadu and Sun Temple, Konark were in the second and third positions. In FY23-24, Qutub Minar and Red Fort of Delhi were in the second and third positions.
