IN SEARCH OF TIGER CLAWS

एक कहे कल्पद्रुम है, इमि पूरत है सबकी चितचाहे ।
एक कहे अवतार मनोज, की यो तनमे अति सुंदरता है ।
भुषण एक कहे महि इंदु यो, राजविराजत बाढयौ महा है ।
एक कहे नरसिंह है संगर, एक कहे नरसिंह सिवा है ॥
- कविराज भुषण

अर्थ :-

यास कोणी कल्पवृक्ष म्हणतात, कारण हा सर्वांचे मनोरथ पूर्ण करतो.
हा सौंदर्यसंपन्न असल्याने कोणी याला मदनाचा अवतार म्हणतात.
भुषण याला पृथ्वीवरचा चंद्र म्हणतो, कारण याचे राज्य कलेकलेने वाढत आहे.
कोणी याच्या युद्धातील पराक्रमामुळे यास सिंह म्हणतात तर कोणी प्रत्यक्ष नृसिंह भगवानच समजतात.
कारण ज्याप्रमाने नरसिंहाने हिरण्यकशपुचे पोट फाडले तद्वातच शिवरायांनी आपल्या वाघनखांनी अफजलखानाची आतडी काढली.

This is my enquiry about Tiger claws . Tiger Claws of Shivaji Maharaj is now in Victoria and Albert Museum London. 
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Dear Deepak,

Thank you for your e-mail.

The piece you have enquired about is not in display in the galleries
but is in storage. I have had a look throught the records and found the
following details - apologies that they are quite brief:

Tiger claws or 'bagh nakh'. An assassin's weapon composed of five
curved hooks resembling claws attached to a bar with ring ends through
which the first and little fingers are passed. Thus held it can be
concelaed in the palm of the hand. Kolhapur, Maharashtra, 19th
century.

I hope that is of some help.

Best regards,

Melissa Appel
Asian Department

Please note that although V&A staff are pleased to answer enquiries
whenever possible, they cannot accept any legal or other responsibility
for any opinion expressed.

The Victoria and Albert Museum
Established	1852
Location	Cromwell Gardens, South Kensington, London
Collection size	4.6 million objects
Museum area	12.5 acres / 145 galleries
Director	Mark Jones
Nearest tube station(s)	South Kensington
Website	www.vam.ac.uk

Tipu's sword is Mallya's


The working president of the Janata Party and United Breweries Chairman, Vijay Mallya, poses with the legendary sword of Tipu Sultan in Bangalore on Wednesday. Mr. Mallya had bought it at an auction in London last September for Rs. 1.5 crores. — AP

BANGALORE, APRIL 7. The legendary sword last used by Tipu Sultan is back in Karnataka, 205 years after the British invaders took it as a battle trophy after the `Tiger of Mysore' fell in battle at Srirangapatna on May 4, 1799.

Vijay Mallya, Rajya Sabha MP, displayed the sword before mediapersons here on Wednesday and announced that he was the `mysterious person' who bought the sword at an auction in London in September 2003.

"The sword reached Bangalore just ten days ago... I paid close to Rs 1.50 crores at the auction. Since the sword is of Indian origin, there was no Customs duty to pay," he said.

The liquor baron-turned-politician said that acquiring the sword, paying for it from his personal funds, was a matter of prestige for him and that he was "restoring Karnataka's pride.''

The sword would remain in his custody except during the weeklong anniversary celebrations of Tipu next month when it would be kept for public display at Srirangapatna near Mysore, which was Tipu's capital.

"It will probably be in a bank vault the rest of the time," he added.

Considering the instance of Tagore's Nobel Prize medal going missing, he did not want to take any chances with the precious object.

Present along with the flamboyant Mr. Mallya at the press conference were the traditional guardians of the Ajmer Dargah Sharief, Sahebzada Sayed Mohammed Ilyas Mian and his son Sahebzada Sayed Mohammed Ayaz Mian.

Mr. Mallya explained that he had sought the blessings of the Sufi saint Khwaja Gharib Nawaz at Ajmer before entering the world of politics.

The guardians of the dargah said that Tipu was known as much for his benevolence and tolerance as the valour he showed in battles against the British.

The calligraphy on the sword vouchsafes for its provenance. On the border of the 36-inch-long steel blade is the following inscription: "The Sword of Tipu Sultan found after Srirangapatnam was taken by Storm on 4th May 1799 and presented by the Army to Major General Baird through their Commander Lieut. General Harris, as a token of their high opinion of his Courage and Conduct in the assault which he commanded and in which Tipu Sultan was slain." The hilt has Arabic inscriptions in praise of the Almighty.

The overall length of the sword is 42 inches. The polished bright steel hilt and the pommel, and the convex pommel cap fitted with a gold loop, form a part of the sword. The scabbard is of velvet with silver gilt. The straight blade with a double-edged point is inlaid in gold with the `orb and parasol' mark ascribed by some historians to imperial Mughal swordsmiths.

The presence of such swords in Mughal paintings, where they are shown as being worn by courtiers or gifted by the emperor, would explain the status of the sword and its probable Mughal-era manufacture. The inscription on the sword, `Samsir-al Malik,' indicates its princely association.

Mr. Mallya said that the sword was among the objects auctioned by the descendants of General Baird to whom it was originally presented after the battle.

The timing of Mr. Mallya's announcement of his acquisition made some six months ago has not gone unnoticed, coming as it does a fortnight before the first phase of polling in Karnataka.

However, the working president of the Janata Party said: "This is not political. It's personal."

Mr. Mallya's party has fielded candidates in more than a hundred Assembly constituencies and half-a-dozen Lok Sabha constituencies in the coming elections in Karnataka.

He described the sword as a unique piece of history and said that he bought it as a `proud Kannadiga' in order to restore the `rightful legacy' to Karnataka.