MYSURU: Scenes from the glorious days of Mysuru returned for a royal adoption on Monday, ending the gloom following the death of Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar in 2013.
Srikantadatta and Queen Pramoda Devi had no children, so she formally adopted Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, making him the 27th prince of the Mysuru lineage. The coronation would take place in May.
An illuminated kalyana mantap inside Amba Vilas Palace came alive for its first auspicious event since the wedding of Srikantadatta and Pramoda Devi in 1976.
Hundreds of women from the royal family filled the galleries on Monday, as did well-wishers and dignitaries.
The adoption has revived hopes that the 400-year-old Dasara festivities would now be held every year without any compromise on tradition. The Mysuru Palace was decorated with fragrant Mysuru mallige (jasmine) garlands for the ceremony. A variety of flowers were used to decorate the palace, where guests sat on ornamental durbar chairs.
The ceremony began at 4.30 am with ganga puja, Ganesha homa and seven other rituals performed by a team of about 80 priests led by Janaradhan Iyengar. The adoption ritual began at 1.10 pm. Pramoda Devi sat next to a portrait of Srikantadatta and personally supervised the hour-long adoption and naming ceremony.
Tears rolled down her cheeks when Yaduveer Gopalraj Urs, as the prince used to be called earlier, arrived with his father Swaroop Anand Gopal Urs and Leela Thripura Sundari Devi.
Dressed in a golden sherwani and sporting a royal necklace and a gold-laced red Mysuru turban, Yaduveer was welcomed with vedic chants.
He performed a puja and was formally adopted by Indrakshi Devi, sister of Srikantadatta, and Rajchandra Urs at the adoption ceremony.
The name of Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar was then appended to Yaduveer. Pramoda Devi accepted him and made him sit on her lap. Overwhelmed, she kissed her adopted son.
Later, Pramoda Devi applied vermilion on Yaduveer’s forehead and they offered puja together. They also offered respects to Brahmatantra Swatantra Parakala Swamy of Parakala Mutt by washing his feet.
Royals from Rajasthan and other states, who had turned up in good numbers, greeted them and handed them gifts.
Home Minister K J George, Housing Minister M H Ambareesh, Congress leader C K Jaffar Sharief, Yaduveer’s fiance Trishika, legislator Vasu, and Mysore University Vice-Chancellor S Rangappa were among the guests.
Kantharaje Urs, nephew of Srikantadatta who was earlier tipped to be the successor, was absent.
Bettadakote Family
Yaduveer Gopalraj Urs, 22, was formally adopted as the heir of Wadiyar dynasty on Monday.
Legend has it that founder of the present dynasty Raja Wadiyar was cursed by Rani Alamelamma in 1610 that “the kings of Mysore will be childless”.
Since then, every alternate generation of Wadiyars adopted a child. While the adopted person would have children, the next generation would be childless because of the “curse”. All those adopted come from Bettadakote family.
After the death of the first Maharaja, Raja Wadiyar, and his son Immadi Raja Wadiyar, Raja Wadiyar’s brother’s son Ranadheera Kanteerava was adopted. After the death of Kanteerava, his son Dodda Krishnaraja Wadiyar was crowned. As Krishnaraja was childless, his brother’s son Immadi Chikkadevaraja Wadiyar was adopted.
Similarly, Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar’s brother’s son Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar was adopted and he was the last ruler of the erstwhile Mysuru state. His son Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar was childless and his widow Pramoda Devi adopted Yaduveer on Monday.
Yaduveer is the grandson of Gayathri Devi, the eldest daughter of Jayachamarajendra.