Wadiyar No More, Sun Sets On Mysore Dynasty
Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar, scion of the erstwhile Mysore kingdom and former Lok Sabha member, died of a cardiac arrest on Tuesday. He was 60, and is survived by his wife Pramoda Devi.
Wadiyar was recently elected president of the Karanataka State Cricket Association, and had undergone a second bariatric surgery (for weight loss) a month ago.
On Tuesday, he went to his office at the Chinnaswamy Stadium and returned to the Bangalore Palace, complaining of chest pain. He was rushed to Vikram Hospital.
“He was brought in around 2 pm. For one-and-a-half hours, Dr Ranganath Naik and four others tried to revive him. But by 3.30 pm, he was declared dead,” said Dr Madan, administrator of Vikram Hospital.
He had been admitted to hospital for four days in November for a lung infection, according to hospital spokesperson Abdul Hafeez.
Wadiyar will be cremated on Wednesday at Mysore’s Madhuvana on Nanjangud Road, where other royals have been cremated, with state honours.
Chief Minister Siddarmaiah declared a holiday on Wednesday and two-day official mourning.
Governor Hansraj Bhardwaj, former chief ministers S M Krishna, H D Kumaraswamy, Jagadish Shettar and B S Yeddyurappa, Home Minister K J George, Health Minister U T Khader and several politicians, administrators and sports personalities visited the hospital and paid their last respects.
Son of the late Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar, the last ruling king of Mysore and Maharani Tripura Sundari Ammani, Wadiyar was born on February 20, 1953. In 1974, he became the titular head of the Yadu dynasty to which the Wadiyars belong.
Wadiyar used to preside over the Dasara festivities to ensure royal traditions were not broken. An avid lover of sports, particularly golf, cricket and horse racing, he was involved in their administration too.
He was the chief patron of the Mysore Race Club and Bangalore Turf Club, and the Delhi Race Club.
In fact, the lands on which the Bangalore Turf Club and Mysore Race Club stand were donated by the Mysore royal family.
A quiet, soft-spoken and genial person, Wadiyar represented Mysore in the Lok Sabha for four terms.
Chaduranga Kantharaj Urs, the son of Gayathri Devi, Wadiyar’s sister, is said to be the successor as he was reportedly adopted by Wadiyar.
The Wadiyar dynasty ruled Mysore from 1399 to 1947. For many Mysoreans, Srikantadatta Wadiyar remained king even in a non-empire era.
K R Market Closed
The Sri Krishnarajendra Market Traders’ Association has decided to close the market for a day on Wednesday as a mark of respect for Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar, whose grandfather Krishnarajendra Wadiyar built the structure.
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