Page:The Aristocracy of Southern India.djvu/224

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The Aristoceacy of Southeen India.


He maintains eight Hindu temples at the head quarters of his estate, and in the month of Karthika (December) ceremonies are performed on a grand scale at a cost of a thousand Rupees. On these days hundreds of poor people are fed.

The Rajah Sahib has excavated many channels and tanks. When famine threatened furiously in 1899-1900, he spent Rs. 10,000 at the request of Government on repairs to tanks and channels.

He has much faith in Ayurvedic medicines. He has studied medicine well and is a great doctor. He prepares excellent drugs, mixtures, &c., and gives them away free to all people. He has English, Ayurvedic and Unani medicines with him. He maintains an establishment for preparing and administering them.

He once went out hunting in one of his forests, and chased two tigers to a distance of 12 miles, and ultimately shot them dead. He has killed a number of tigers and cheetahs. He would ride on horse back wherever possible, and go walking long distances at a stretch while on hunting excursions. He is undoubtedly a keen sportsman. He has trained a number of animals to peform different kinds of feats. Horses of the best mettle, goats and sheep of excellent breed he has in his menagerie, and their performances in the ring are simply wonderful. Those animals have been trained under the immediate supervision of the Rajah Sahib and they are all kept in good order.

He has a press of his own with a large establishment for the purpose of printing rare medical books. All the