Rajamudi is a variety native to Hassan and Mysore districts of Karnataka, grown for long in a region called Shri Ramadevaru Katte which supplied the erstwhile Wodeyar Maharajas of Mysore and apparently revived from there. Many say that it was once a favorite, everyday rice for the Wodeyar kings and that its name “Rajamudi” connotes a royal gift or personage, like the jewel-studded crowns the Wodeyar kings legendarily gifted the Melkote Chaluvaranayanaswamy temple. It is also often said that the Wodeyars would accept Rajamudi in lieu of taxes, when poor ryots could not pay, but we have found no concrete historical verification of this. But do read on for a possible explanation of why this particular story of Rajamudi rice has stuck so hard to the legacy of the Wodeyar kings.
Cover + image 5 contributed by Radhika Penagonda, 2020.
Description
THE CULTURAL & ECOLOGICAL LIFE OF THIS RICE
The Indian historian C. Hayavadana Rao’s writings provide a very interesting account of the reign of Raja Wodeyar (1578-1617). A gold crown was beautified with precious jewels and gifted to the deity of the famous Chaluvaranayanaswamy temple at Melkote temple, Raja Wodeyar. It is known after him as the Raja-mudi. Another such was gifted by Krishnaraja Wadiyar III (r. 1799–1831), and is called after him the “Krishnaraja-mudi.” The most prized and famous of the temple deities crowns, the Vaira-mudi, however, is of “unknown” origin, perhaps gifted by “Krishna and Bala” as they worshipped Lord Narayana there before returning to Dwaraka [Rao 1943: 25]. Such jewelled crowns are ornaments of prominence during various festivals observed in the temple of Melkote. They are placed over the head of the deity during the Rajamudi Utsava and the deity is taken in a procession. The Rajamudi crown is worn by the deity after the Vairamudi, is taken off from the deity’s head during Brahmotsava, the grandest festival of Melkote.
The name “Rajamudi” as it names a rice cultivar does not have a direct connection to the crown offered at the Narayan Swamy Temple in Melkote. However, the name “Rajamudi” bestowed on a humble rice grain elevates its status considerably and ties it irrevocably to the Wodeyars. The most popular story told about Rajamudi is that the Wodeyar Maharajas would accept it in lieu of tax, so much was it prized—but the way this story circulates, it is entirely anecdotal. Described this way, the connection is tenuous, but there may be more to tell.
Among the most significant events to occur during the reign of Raja Wodeyar was the acquisition of Seringapatam [modern-day Srirangapatnam] and the “religion of Vishnu” was adopted by the court. Now historian and epigraphist Benjamin Lewis Rice writes that Raja Wodeyar’s “rule was remarkable for the rigour and severity which he exercised towards the subordinate Wodeyars, and his indulgence towards the ryots. The Wodeyars were generally dispossessed and kept in confinement, on a scanty allowance, at the seat of government; and it was the policy of Raja Wodeyar to reconcile the ryots to the change by exacting from them no larger sums than they had formerly paid” (Lewis 1897: 364, emphasis added).
This is the closest we have to an association of crop with king; it is just possible that Raja Wodeyar’s support of the ryots in 17th century Mysore is also the reason that we have a landrace today whose name carries his emblem, much as the Rajamudi crown does.
We understand also from Sahaja Samrudha [Organic Farmers Association of Karnataka] that the deity of the Nanjangud Nanjundeshwara temple is offered Rajamudi Rice thrice everyday and the same is distributed among devotees as prasada.
NUTRITIONAL AND MEDICINAL PROPERTIES
- Unpolished or semi-polished rajamudi will have a greater proportion of slowly digestible starch (SDS) and resistant starch—both of which are faster to create a sense of satiety (that is, you eat less), and which are pre-biotics (that is, good for gut bacteria) [cf. Kamaraddi and Prakash 2023]
CULINARY USES
- Sweet tasting, medium grained rice with red streaks, as it is usually consumed in semi-polished and raw form
- Increased quality on cooking if the rice is aged for more than 2 years
- An excellent daily table rice, which beautifully cooperates to let the flavor of HuLi, Kozhambu, Sambar, Kootu and the likes flourish.
- One of those rare semi-polished varieties that is still excellent for curd-rice
- In floured form makes excellent Akki Rotti
WHO GROWS THIS RICE & WHERE CAN I BUY?
- In Mandya
- Krishnappa [A farmer living in Gulur Doddi, Mandya, who uses good farming practices across some parts of his land, if not whole, and uses traditional practices taught by his elders] – 9902647906
- Bettaswamy (Seller) – 9844608835
- Other Possible Sources
SOURCES & FURTHER READING
- Rice, Benjamin Lewis. 1897. Gazetteer of Mysore Volume 1, Westminister: Archibald Constable and Company.
- Rao, C. Hayavadana. 1943. History of Mysore: 1399-1799 Volume I Bangalore: Government Press.
- Kamaraddi, V., & Prakash, J. (2023). Quality characteristics of IET-13901 and Rajamudi rice varieties subjected to varying degrees of polishing, Journal of Nutrition and Food Processing. 6(3); DOI:10.31579/2637-8914/122
Additional information
| Region of Origin | South |
|---|---|
| Grain Shape | short bold |
| Grain Colour | Red |
| Fragrance | Nonscented |
