R. Rajagopala Tondaiman Explained

Rajah R. Rajagopala Tondaiman
Image Upright:1
Birth Place:Thiruchirapalli, Madras State, India
Other Names:Rajah, RRR Tondaiman
Employer:Royal Pudukottai Sports Club, Tamil Nadu Shooting Association
Occupation:Socialite
Titular Rajah of Pudukkottai
Term:1992-incumbent
Spouse:Sarubala Tondaiman
Children:Prithviraj Tondaiman Radha Niranjani Rajayee

Sri Brahdamba Dasa Rajah Rajagopala Tondaiman Bahadur, popularly known as Rajah Rajagopala Tondaiman, is an Indian socialite and the present head of the royal house of Pudukkottai. He is a shotgun shooter and is married to politician AMMK Organising Secretary Tmt. Sarubala Tondaiman.

Early life

Rajagopala Tondaiman was born on 6 September 1957 to Prince Radhakrishna Tondaiman, the younger brother of Rajah Rajagopala Tondaiman, and his wife, Mathusri Raja Srimathi Rani Rema Devi Rajammani Bayi Sahib. Rajagopal finished his schooling and college at Trichy. He was adopted at an early age by his uncle and the last Maharajah of Pudukottai, Maharajah Rajagopala Tondaiman.[1]

Public life

Rajagopala Tondaiman became the titular Rajah of Pudukkottai upon the death of his uncle Rajagopala Tondaiman on 16 January 1997.[1] The position is ceremonial and heads some family-owned trusts, a patron of a few clubs and hereditary trustee of temples.

He is a skeet shooter[2] and is the President of the Royal Pudukkottai Sports Club, which trains shooters in Trap, Double Trap and Skeet Events and Vice President of the Tamil Nadu Shooting Association. He is a Convenor for the Movement for the Restoration of Vedic Wisdom.

Family

He is married to Rani Sarubala Tondaiman, who is the Organising Secretary of Amma Makkal Munnettra Kazhagam, former Mayor of Tiruchirappalli and the treasurer of Royal Pudukottai Sports Club.[3] The couple have a son, R. Prithviraj Tondaiman, who is an International Trap Shooter and the Secretary of Royal Pudukottai Sports Club,[2] and a daughter, Radha Niranjani, who is also a national trap shooter and the Joint Treasurer of Royal Pudukottai Sports Club.[4]

Notes and References

  1. S. J. Micheal Collins, "Requiem for Tamil Nadu royalty", DT Next, 22 January 2018.
  2. Rahul Ravikumar "This shooter is right on target", The New Indian Express, 13 October 2016.
  3. https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Tiruchirapalli/sarubala-files-nomination-in-tiruchi/article5875852.ece "Sarubala files nomination in Tiruchi"
  4. K. Ezhilarasan, "Young daughter of AMMK candidate, elderly mother of VCK chief turn campaigners in Tiruchy", The New Indian Express, 14 April 2019.