The Tamil king who gave up his crown for his Australian girlfriend

Left: Martanda Bhairava Tondaiman and his Love, Molly Fink; Right: N. Muthunilavan, author and scholar.

Left: Martanda Bhairava Tondaiman and his Love, Molly Fink; Right: N. Muthunilavan, author and scholar.

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You may have heard of people saying that they would do anything for love... but have you heard the story of a Tamil king who fell in love with an Australian girl and gave up his hair just to marry her?


Martanda Bhairava Tondaiman, the king of Pudukkottai principality from 1886 to May 28, 1928, was deposed by the British government because of his marriage to an Australian woman named Molly Fink. Kulasegaram Sanchayan talks to Mr. N. Muthunilavan, a reputed writer from Tamil Nadu, former Tamil teacher, poet, and debater, about this love story.






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