The last King of former Gadajat State of Tigiria, Brajaraj Birabar Kshetriya Champatiray Mohapatra (95) passed away on Monday afternoon at his Puruna-Tigiria house.
He was born in 1920 and coronated as the king of Tigiria in 1943. He agreed to merge his kingdom with India on the call of Sardar Patel and after a direct discussion with Odisha’s first Chief Minister Harekrushna Mahtab.
Earlier in a chat with this reporter, the king had told that Mahtab got the news of the demise of Mahatma Gandhi from his radio-set, which was on, when they were conversing on the issue of merger of his princely State. later, Mahtab proceeded to New Delhi to join the funeral pyre ceremony.
The king is survived by queen Rasamanjari Devi, three sons and two daughters who were present near his body. As per the rule of his dynasty, his elder son will be coronated before the funeral pyre ceremony of the dead king. Several dignitaries around Tigiria rushed to the king’s residence to pay him their last tributes.