Last Zamindar of Singampatti no more

Murugadoss took the reins as a child

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, on Sunday night. He was the last Zamindar of south India.

He was 92 and 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 and was sent to Sri Lanka for education. The education, he had in the island nation in the pre-Independence era, made Murugadoss an excellent orator in English.

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

Though Singampatti Zamin had given on lease a few thousand acres of land in the Western Ghats for tea plantation, the Zamin lost its ownership of the land following the abolishment of Zamindari system in the country.

Before the formal abolishment of the Zamindari system, he became the Zamindar of Singampatti.

After a prolonged legal battle, the tea estates are now owned by the Department of Forests.

Though he was an expert in handling a range of rifles, Mr. Murugadoss was a honorary wildlife warden.