Can someone find the divine in a Carnatic Kriti and a Western Symphony at once? Can one revere ancient knowledge while being fully aware of its limitations? Can a mind steeped in Advaita Vedanta seek Spinozist counterpoints? Can one's spirit be contemporary and classical at the same time?

His Highness the Maharaja of Mysore Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar's life beautifully negotiated such paradoxes and impossibilities. Philosophy, wildlife conservation, philately, photography, music, statesmanship--all converged in his consciousness like perfectly fitting pieces of a giant jigsaw puzzle. Life spoke to him in beautiful metaphors, understood by few. It is not very often that the man emerges from the shadows of his crown. That is precisely why his story has to be told.