South India’s last zamindar no more

TIRUNELVELI

The last zamindar of Singampatti, one of the 72 erstwhile ‘palayams’ in southern Tamil Nadu, T.N.S. Murugadoss Theerthapathi died in his palace at Singampatti close to the Western Ghats in Ambasamudram taluk in the district on Sunday night. He was the last zamindar of south India. He was 92 and is survived by two sons and three daughters.

Murugadoss was crowned the zamindar of Singampatti at the age of three and a half years when his father died. Later, he was sent to Sri Lanka. The education he had in the island nation in the pre-Independence era made him an excellent orator in English.

After being in Chennai for a while in connection with his business, Murugadoss returned to Singampatti and was administering the famous Sorimuthu Ayyanar Temple inside Kalakkadu-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve beyond Papanasam, which attracts thousands of devotees for Adi Amavasai festival. He would be in the royal robes during the festival.

Singampatti zamin had given on lease a few thousand acres of land in the Western Ghats for tea plantation, and it lost its ownership of the land following abolition of zamindari system in the country. Before the formal abolition of zamindari system, he had become the zamindar of Singampatti. After a prolonged legal battle, the Forest department now owns the land.

Murugadoss was an agent of Life Insurance Corporation of India. An expert in handling a range of rifles, he was a honorary wildlife warden.