05 | The first salary of Yogācārya T Krishnamacharya
The first salary slip of Yogācārya T Krishnamacharya. Archives are currently maintained by Dr Kausthub Desikachar & Krishnamacharya Healing & Yoga Foundation. This digital document is watermarked for copyright protection.
My grandfather, Yogācārya, T. Krishnamacharya’s first job offer was made at the behest of the Mysore Maharaja, Śrī Krishnarajendra Wadiyar IV Bahadur. Under his direction, Maharaja’s Sanksrit College was instructed to offer him a temporary job for three months to instruct Yogāsana-s to the boys attending the college. Before that, Yogācārya T Krishnamacharya had been travelling all over India to revive the interest in Yoga in the minds of the public. To view a video on this topic, kindly visit here>. We have a lot of evidence in the form of archival documents that highlight the numerous lectures and demonstrations he has given in many venues to wow the audiences and spark their interest in Yoga.
My grandfather found a great ally in the king of Mysore, Śrī Krishnarajendra Wadiyar IV Bahadur. Often regarded as one of the foremost patrons of Karnatic Music and other Fine arts, Śrī Krishnarajendra Wadiyar IV Bahadur was one of the most celebrated rulers of the Indian States when India was still under British rule. Among the many traditional Indian cultural arts and sciences that he sponsored, he was a staunch supporter of Yoga, and especially of its eminent master at that time, Krishnamacharya. He helped establish the Yogaśālā at his Jaganmohan Palace in Mysore, where Śrī Krishnamacharya not only began his professional Yoga career but also served as the platform for his revival of the great tradition of Yoga.
Thanks to this job offer, Śrī Krishnamacharya settled once again in Mysore and began teaching at the Jagmohan Palace through the Yogaśāla. This temporary job offer would later be confirmed and he continued to live and teach there for many years, forming a very productive alliance with the Mysore Palace.
As this document dated 06 May 1932 records, Yogācārya, T. Krishnamacharya’s first salary of Rs. Sixty per month, which was a very good income at the time. Using this as his security he would settle down in Vidaranyapuram (a locality in Mysore) along with this young family and have more children later. His home was not far from Chamundi Hills and he would commute by walking each day to the Yogaśālā for his classes.
Because he received the salary directly from the Maharaja, he would not charge the students of the Yogaśālā any fee. All of them would take these classes which were subsidised for them by the Royal family. When India became a republic, ending the era of Monarchies, he lost his job at the palace and would have to start teaching students directly.
Among his efforts to propagate Yoga at this time was the book Yoga-makaranda. Written originally in the Kannada language, the native language of Mysore state, this book was written by Krishnamacharya at the insistence of the Maharaja of Mysore. Anecdotes from his wife, Namagiriamma, suggest that Krishnamacharya completed this manuscript in four nights. The book was published in 1934, at the apex of the Yogaśāla’s success. This book has subsequently been translated into English and French along with all of the original photographs made in the Mysore Palace. You can purchase a copy of these versions here>
This salary document, partially displayed above, is among hundreds of full and original documents relating to Yogācārya T Krishnamacharya that are part of the Krishnamacharya Archives. Dr Kausthub Desikachar has taken as part of his life mission to carefully protect, archive and share these extraordinary archival documents of his grandfather in a careful and respectful manner.
Little know facts about Yogācārya T Krishnamacharya | Curated by Dr Kausthub Desikachar. Current lineage holder of the Viniyoga tradition. Copyright © Kausthub Desikachar and Viniyoga Pte. Ltd. No part of this article may be reproduced in part or full without permission from the author.
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Dr Kausthub Desikachar is the successor and current lineage holder of the classical Viniyoga tradition of T Krishnamacharya & TKV Desikachar. He is an acclaimed yoga teacher, yoga therapist, healer and spiritual adviser. His objectives include the sharing of the authentic teachings of Yoga to the modern era, as well as building bridges between different healing modalities to promote physical, emotional social and spiritual health.
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