As much as the City of Destiny appeases everyone with its modern establishments, polished look, and developed beaches, vintage Vizag surely had a vibe unique to it. If the historical documents are any indication, Vizagapatam once flourished in peace and tranquillity under the benevolence of the royals, who had the people’s needs in their hearts. John Castellas, a Vizag heritage enthusiast and aficionado, narrates the life of Sir Goday Narayan Gajapathi Rao, KCIE, the last Maharajah of Vizagapatam. How he dedicated not just wealth but his heartfelt efforts towards the city’s rise is a story every Vizagite must know.
Maharajah Sir Goday Narayan Gajapathi Rao, KCIE, Zamindar of Anakapalle and other estates, was the last male aristocrat in the long history of the Goday Zamindari family of Vizag. His father was Surya Narayan Rao whose first wife, Nilayamma, was the Maharajah’s mother. Born in Vizagapatam on 1 December 1828, he was sent to the Hindu College in Calcutta at the age of 13 to further his education under expert tutors. After nine years in Calcutta, Goday Narayan Gajapathi Rao returned to Vizag in 1849 as a young man to join his brother in managing the family’s estates.
The Goday family was known to be one of the most influential families in the Northern Circars and Goday Gajapathi Rao was its most influential descendant, following the death of his uncle Surya Prakasa Rao. As the only surviving son in the family, he became the reversionary heir and Zamindar to the family estates.
Goday Gajapathi Rao was elected to represent the landed classes in the Madras Legislative Council from 1868 to 1883 and lived at ‘The Mansion’ in Nungumbakum until 1885. In Vizag, his palatial residence was ‘The Mahal’ near Godayvari Veedhi in that old town area. Further down that street were his horse and carriage stables near Select Talkies. The young Rajah’s first wife was Janaki Amma (aka Janakiamma), daughter of Madina Jugga Rao, CSI. She was the mother of his two daughters and she died in 1879 at the young age of 38 years. She was a learned lady fluent in English, Sanskrit and Telugu. Little is recorded of his second wife and, on her premature death, he married his niece Chitty Janakiamma who was the adopted daughter of his sister Ratnayamma who was married to GL Narsinga Rao.
Praised by all were his big-heartedness, loyalty, public spirit and philanthropy to all sections and religions of the Vizag community. He donated land to the London Missionary Society (LMS) near Goday Vari Veedhi in Vizag, land for the St Aloysius Industrial School, made donations for the LMS Vizagapatam High School (today’s CBM High School), Hope Hall Girls School, the Turners Chaltram, Waltair Gymkhana Golf Pavilion, houses for the homeless, wells and water tanks, land for Vizagapatam Medical College, erected the Gosha Hospital, water fountains and arranged for daily feeding of the poor.
He was a fellow of the University of Madras and made education of the population his favourite interest. With a family of several well-educated women including his two daughters, he established many schools for the education of Telugu girls. In 1890, he opened the Vizagapatam Telugu Caste Girls’ School and Fort Convent and encouraged the Sisters of St Joseph’s Convent to manage them. He opened an adult Caste Girls’ School in Vizag, calling it the ‘Maharani Gajapathi Rao Ladies Institution.’ This was the first institution of its kind in South India and the Maharani was its Patroness. He actively supported the pioneering establishment of the Hindu College (later Mrs AVN College) by his family. He funded the Carmichael Medal at the Hindu College and donated liberally to the Panchayappa College in Madras. His support for Hindu institutions continued with his strong support of the Brahama Samaja in Madras and the Godayvari Sanskrit Prize at the University of Madras established in 1870 and consisted of Rs 2,800 invested in Government Securities for an annual prize of Rs 80 to encourage the study of Sanskrit in Madras. He donated a gold medal to be awarded annually by the Asiatic Society in London to encourage oriental learning among English-speaking people.
Maharajah Gajapathi Rao’s other interest was modern medical treatment for the citizens of Vizag. In 1894, he presented a building to serve as the Victoria Caste and Gosha Hospital at Vizagapatam and also undertook to pay the Lady Practitioner in charge of the hospital. His family contributed over half the cost of erecting a Civil Hospital in Vizag and donated the land for the establishment of the Vizagapatam Medical College which was originally named The Victoria Diamond Jubilee Medical College.
To celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1897, Maharajah Gajapathi Rao was Chairman of the Jubilee Committee in Vizag that led to several monuments like the Gosha Hospital, Town Hall, Medical College and Chaltram being erected and encouraged other Zamindars to build schools, medical dispensaries, chaltrams and markets for the population of the District. He presented the city of Madras with a statue of the Queen. Originally located in front of the Senate building, the statue is now located at Madras University. In 1891, he led the Committee to establish a railway link between Madras and Calcutta with a Junction at Waltair and saw his vision fulfilled when the first train arrived at Waltair Junction in May 1893.
The Viceroy gave him the distinction of Rajah in 1881 and Companion of the Eminent Order of the Indian Empire (CIE) in 1892. In 1898 the title, ‘Maharajah’ was conferred on him. His kindness to the growing Catholic population of Vizag was rewarded when Pope Leo XIII conferred Europe’s illustrious Order of St Gregory and presented him with a mosaic of St Peters Square. In 1902, on the occasion of the Delhi Durbar, King Edward conferred on him a knighthood with the title Knight Commander of the Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire (KCIE).
Later in life, his two most unhappy and painful events were, firstly, the unexpected and untimely widowhood of his elder daughter the Rani Sahiba of Wadhwan, and secondly the premature death of his younger daughter the Rani of Kurupam. As this affliction was too great for him to bear, he lost his usual energy and diligence and retired from public life. The forced inactivity of a nobleman who always found pleasure in work hastened his death. The Maharajah Sir GN Gajapathi Rao, KCIE, quietly passed away on 19 May 1903 aged 79 years and Vizag lost its most noble visionary who was eminent for his good deeds, but also for the distinguished ancestry of which he was the worthy representative.
A Condolence Meeting by Jaganmitra Association, Vizagapatam, on 24 May 1903 conveyed their deep affliction for the lamentable demise of the Maharajah, referring to … his unbound humanity, the illimitable generosity and the unceasing liberality of His Highness… and his most sublime deeds spread with uniform nobility throughout and beyond the territory.
Maharajah Sir Goday Narayan Gajapathi Rao KCIE represented the best traditions of Indian statesmanship, Indian thought, and Indian personality. He had in his heart that love of truth, that rectitude of principle, that wise benevolence, and above all that reverence for God which would have made him great in any position of life, but which, added to princely possessions and high honours, certainly entitle him to be regarded as one of the greatest of India’s sons.
This article is the first in a series of four articles about the Last Maharajah of Vizag, the Maharani and two daughters, the Rani of Wadhwan and Rani of Kurupam. The portraits are painted oil on canvas by Vizag artist Sharmla Karri from photographs in European archives. As the ladies lived in purdah after marriage, their images were photographs taken before marriage.
Should you have an anecdote or history on Vizag, the author would appreciate you contacting him at [email protected]
Written by John Castellas whose family belonged to Vizag for 5 generations. Educated at St Aloysius, migrated to Melbourne, Australia in 1966, former General Manager of Engineering at Boeing & Qantas Airways, in retirement Lecturers in Aviation Management at Swinburne University and is a Vizag aficionado.
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