Saturday, June 25, 2016

Royal Weddings – an affair to remember

Raja Ravi Varma painted the official wedding portrait of the royal couple H.H. Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar Bahadur IV and H.H. Maharani Sri Pratapa Kumari Lakshmi Vilasa Sannidhana; the oil on canvas portrait is in the collection of Mysore Royal family. Featured above is the 61x76 cms sized oleograph, printed in Germany. This popular print can still be seen at bhajana mandiras and residences of aristocrats in Mysuru. The wedding took place on 6 June 1900 at Jaganmohan Palace where a large hall was specially constructed for this wedding as the main palace was under construction. This oleograph depicts the sixteen-years-old Maharaja with his eleven-years-old royal consort. The invitation in Kannada reads the bride's name as Chi. Sou. Ku. Pratap Kuvari, daughter of Jhala Rana Vinay Simha. Whereas, the official version in the 'History of Mysore' by Hayavadana Rao states the details as Maharani Pratapa Kumari Ammanni avaru Lakshmi Vilasa Sannidhana (born 1889) youngest daughter of Rana Sri Bane Sinhji Saheb, Rana Sahib of Muli (Vana) in Kathiawar region of western India. Collection: Ramsons Kala Pratishtana, Mysuru.

“God created the Maharajas to provide a spectacle to humanity” wrote Rudyard Kipling. And what a royal spectacle they were, their lives, the stuff dreams are made of, their alliances and misalliances and of course their fabulous and fabled weddings. Vintage photographs of some of the royal weddings show the bridal couple simply dripping with ruby, emerald, sapphire and diamond studded jewellery.

A hand written invitation with a simple floral trellis border issued under the joint oval seal of dowager Maharanis H.H. Rama Vilasa Sannidhana and H.H. Seeta Vilasa Sannidhana is for the wedding of Chi. Ra. Devaparthiva Raja, grand son of Krishnaraja Wadiyar III. The invitation dated 23 June 1877 has an ornate box below the oval seal stating 'Rani sahebarugalavara hukum'. Collection: Ramsons Kala Pratishtana, Mysuru

Little wonder that India was and continues to be known as the ‘land of Maharajas’ and their weddings are 'heavenly spectacle on earth.’

1897. Wedding portrait of Maharajakumari Jayalakshmammanni avaru and Sri Kantharaj Urs who later rose to become Dewan of Mysore state (1919 to 1922). He was the brother of H.H. Dowager Maharani Kempanajnammanni Vani Vilasa Sannidhana. It was during this wedding that the front portion of the old palace was engulfed in an accidental fire. Collection: Ramsons Kala Pratishtana, Mysuru

We are about to witness one such royal wedding, that of Yaduveer Krishnadatta- Chamarajendra Wadiyar with Trishika Kumari on June 27th/28th. Incidentally the young couple got engaged in May 2013 and their engagement was blessed so it is said by the Late scion of the Wadiyar dynasty, Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar and his wife Pramoda Devi Wadiyar.

1898. Royal couple in regal finery. Maharajakumari Cheluvajammanni avaru, sister of H.H. Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV with her consort Sri Lakshmi Kantharaj Urs.Collection: Ramsons Kala Pratishtana, Mysuru

What is it about a royal wedding that makes the spectator go ‘Ooooh’ with a gasp of wonder?
The formal wedding photograph of Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV and Pratapa Kumari taken on June 6th 1900, gives a glimpse of the opulence surrounding the wedding.
6 June 1900. The British Resident in attendance at the royal wedding reception. Standing L-R: M.Kantharaj Urs, A. Veerappaji Urs, V.N. Narasimha Iyengar, B. Krishne Urs, H. Nanjunda Raj Urs, M.N anjaraj Urs, T. Basavaraj Urs, H. Lingaraj Urs, Col. J.Desraj Urs. Sitting L-R: Col. Robertson, Resident, Yuvaraja Kanteerava Narasimharaja Wadiyar, H.H. Maharani Lakshmi Vilasa Sannidhana, H.H. Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV, Lakshmi Kantharaj Urs and Dewan Sheshadri Iyer. Source: India Office Records, UK


Following the various formalities, the newly wedded couple were on June 14th taken in as grand a procession as the Dasara with all its fanfare. A note about the wedding was sourced from the India Office Records (Govt of UK). It says...

“Grand procession commenced at 10 pm with the Maharaja seated in the gold ambari on a magnificent state elephant. After leaving the fort, it proceeded through the main streets of the town and reached the palace around 1 am next day for the wedding ceremony.” The pity is that there is no photographic evidence of the crowds that thronged the street to rejoice in their Maharaja’s wedding to a Princess from the ‘North.’ However, the oil on canvas portrait of the young couple by the celebrated artist Raja Ravi Varma captures the opulence of the occasion.

Another entry of 1910 states that nearly 5000 people thronged the palace premises to witness the ritual of 'Kashi Yatre' performed at Yuvaraja Kanteerava Narasimharaja Wadiyar's wedding within the fort.
1910. The 'Kashi Yatre' ritual of Yuvaraja Kanteerava Narasimharaja Wadiyar, younger son of H.H. Maharaja Chamarajendra Wadiyar Bahadur and H.H. Maharani Kempananjammanni Vani Vilasa Sannidhana. This was the first major event in the palace which was under-construction. In the foreground, H.H. Maharaja and H.H. Yuvaraja stand beside white royal parasols. Just behind them are the famed Mysore Lancers. In the background, the massive stone pillars that are visible behind the temporary ceremonial portico is now the inner courtyard of the palace. Collection: Ramsons Kala Pratishtana, Mysuru


It is curious to discover that some of the Mysore Royals are ‘matrimonially connected’ to Royal families in the northern regions of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.

The genealogical chart of the Mysore Royal House right from the reign of Chamarajendra Wadiyar X (ruled 1881–1895) until the present day indicates marriage alliances were being forged with Kshatriya kingdoms from the North. These exogamous marriages have been increasing since the end of the 19th Century.

In the book, 'Speeches of Dewan Kantharaje Urs' it is mentioned that H.H. Chamarajendra Wadiyar was desirous of finding Rajput grooms for his charming daughters. However, the first exogamous marriage was between Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV, son of Chamarajendra Wadiyar, and a Rajput princess from the north.

After Chamarajendra’s death, the dowager Maharani Kempananjammanni Vani Vilasa Sannidhana who became the Regent on behalf of her young son Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV sought the British Resident’s assistance to secure an alliance. The Resident, W. Macworth Young, agreed, and sent several letters to the other British Residents and Agents in Rajputana, Central India and Bombay Presidency in December 1895.

The Residents and Agents claimed that the Rajput rulers were not convinced that the Mysore family belonged to their caste, and it is noted that there would be difficulties in effecting a matrimonial alliance with Mysore unless a beginning could be made by marrying a Mysore princess to a Rajput chief. This too seemed to be an uphill task. Meticulous minutes by the Assistant Resident point out to one proposal that had to be vetoed because of demands of a dowry! This proposal came from the Maharao of Kota, Mahendra Umaid Singh II to marry a princess of Mysore. The Maharao wanted a dowry of Rs 5,00,000, this was a huge amount of money considering that the civil list of the Mysore Maharaja, which was one of the largest amongst Indian princes, was at that time only Rs 14,00,000. The alliance failed to materialise. (India Office Records, Govt of UK).

Again we take recourse to the Resident’s minutes which states that the late Maharaja Chamarajendra Wadiyar had met the Raja of Morvi, Thakur Waghji Ravalji II, and offered one of his daughters to the son of Morvi ruler. But this proposal too was dropped when it was discovered that the Mysore and Morvi families belonged to the same gotra.

18 June 1941. Twin weddings of younger sisters of H.H. Maharaja Jayachamaraja Wadiyar were performed on the same day. Left: Maharajakumari Vijayalakshmammanni with Pradyumna Sinhji Himmat Sinhji, Raja of Kotda Sangni, Saurashtra. Right: H.H. Maharani Sri Jayachamundammanni with H.H. Maharaja Sri Brajindra Sawai Brijendra Singhji Bahadur, Bahadur-Jung of Bharatpur, Rajasthan. The couples pose for an informal picture at the end of the rituals at the Mysore Palace. Collection: Ramsons Kala Pratishtana, Mysuru


The much sought after Rajput alliance came when Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar’s marriage took place with H.H. Maharani Lakshmivilas Sannidhana Pratapa Kumari Devi ammani avaru who belonged to a family of Parmar Rajputs of Saurashtra.

Later several alliances with ruling Rajput families were forged. For example all three daughters of Yuvaraja Kanteerava Narasimharaja Wadiyar, had been married off to Rajput royal families outside the State. Princess Sujayakanthammanni and Princess Vijayadevi had been married into the royal houses of the principalities of Sanad (Baghela Rajputs) and Kotada Sangani (Jadeja Rajputs) respectively in Gujarat. However, the third sister, Maharajakumari Sri Jayachamundammanni had married the Maharaja of Bharatpur in Rajasthan, the family belonged to the Sinsiniwar Jat lineage.
March 1943. Youngest daughter of H.H. Yuvaraja Kanteerava Narasimharaja Wadiyar and Yuvarani Kempu Cheluvajammanni avaru, Maharajakumari Sujayakanthammanni avaru was married to H.H. Rudradutt Sinhji, Yuvaraja Saheb of Sanad, Gujarat. The couple are seen seated on the swing at the Sejje of Mysore Palace. Collection: Ramsons Kala Pratishtana, Mysuru


The wedding of Jaya Chamarajendra Wadiyar may be said to be the last of the royal weddings. The first marriage which took place at the Kalyana Mantap of the Palace on May 15th 1938 was to Maharani Satya Premakumari Devi-ammanni avaru, the daughter of Pratap Singh Deo Bahadur of Jigni who are Bundela Rajputs.
15 May 1938. First wedding of H.H. Jayachamaraja Wadiyar (later in 1940 he became Maharaja)  with H.H. Satya Premakumari Devi ammanni avaru, the daughter of Pratap Singh Deo Bahadur of Jigni, Charkari state. A relaxed bride and the groom on the silver swing about to play with a ball made of jasmine strings, the ritual is known as 'Urutane on Uyyale'. The same ritual will be performed between the newly-weds on the evening of Monday 27 June 2016 at the Durbar Hall. Collection: Ramsons Kala Pratishtana, Mysuru


The second marriage of Jaya Chamarajendra Wadiyar to Maharani Tripurasundari Devi ammanni avaru, daughter of Balananja Raje Urs of the Mysore State Forces was also celebrated with a lot of fanfare. There was great rejoicing throughout the State, and special services were held and prayers offered in all the important religious institutions in the State and at Tirupathi.

Buntings and banners had been put up. 'Long Live the Maharaja’ were hung across the palace Jayamartanda Gate and all along the main streets and the processional route .At the appointed time Jaya Chamarajendra along with relative and courtiers walked out of Palace stopping only to feed some sugar cubes to the bedecked white stallion. Then seated in the howdah is taken in procession.
1963. The newly married couple, Maharajakumari Gayatri Devi and Sirdar K.B. Ramachandra Raje Urs seated on the ritual low-stool (hasemane) with an ornate back-rest having the bas-relief of Girija Kalyana scene in Mysore style. On the left of the picture is H.H. Maharaja Jayachamaraja Wadiyar, the father of the bride. They are the biological maternal grand-parents of Sri Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar. Collection: Ramsons Kala Pratishtana, Mysuru


The Rajput connections continued, Maharajakumari Kamakshi Devi is married into the royal family of Wadawan in Gujarat. Her husband Rajakumar Atmanya Devji belongs to a family of Jhala Rajputs. Likewise, Maharajakumari Vishalakshi Devi is married to Rajakumar Gajendra Singhji who is a Rathore Rajput from Auwa, Jodhpur.

Royal processions were also taken out during the weddings of the daughters of Jaya Chamarajendra Wadiyar, Gayatri Devi, Meenakshi Devi and Kamakshi Devi. The marriages were solemnised in the Kalyana Mantap of the Palace. However, when Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar married Pramoda Devi in 1976, there was no procession due to various reasons but the wedding by itself was an opulent affair.
8 February 1976. H.H. Maharaja Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar and his newly-wed consort H.H. Maharani Pramoda Devi Wadiyar acknowledging the greetings of the assembled invitees after having darshan at one of the main temples within the Mysore fort. Collection: Ramsons Kala Pratishtana, Mysuru


Incidentally, the biological aunt of Yaduveer, Kirtimalini Devi, is married to Shailendra Singh, another Bundela Rajput from the principality of Ajaigarh.

When Yaduveer weds Trishika Kumari, another Rajput connection of the Wadiyars will be forged. She belongs to the Ahra Guhilot clan of Sisodia Rajputs who are descendents of Maharanas of Mewar.
7 March 1977. Wedding of Maharajakumari Indrakshi Devi (daughter of H.H. Maharaja Jayachamaraja Wadiyar and H.H. Maharani Tripurasundarammanni avaru) with Sri Rajachandra Urs. The couple circumambulating the sacred fire as a part of the nuptial vows at the Kalyana Mantapa, the Peacock pavilion of Mysore Palace. Collection: Ramsons Kala Pratishtana, Mysuru


Perhaps the Maharajas of Mysore not being extravagant and not parsimonious either, have always celebrated their marriages with just amount of graciousness that bespokes of royalty. The scion of the Wadiyar legacy, Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamarajendra Wadiyar with Trishika Kumari also promises to be an affair to remember.

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Royal Weddings

Another fairy tale royal wedding that took place in 1946 was the wedding of Princess Prem Kumari, the eldest daughter of Maharaja Sawai Man Singh of Jaipur to Yuvraj Jaideep Singhji of Devgadh Baria. This was the first wedding of Maharaja of Jaipur’s daughter in almost 100 years. So the celebrations were grand. All major royal houses were invited. The logistics and catering arrangements were prodigious and the preparations were made with military-like precision. The book of instructions to the Jaipur Palace employees was about two inches thick, detailing every party, festivity, ceremony and entertainment and containing programs for each group of guests and their staff. Even the menus for the servants and vantage points assigned to them for watching the processions were carefully worked out. The wedding festivities lasted for around two weeks.

The 1948 wedding of Princess Rajendra Kanwar of Jodhpur and Yuvraj Fatehsinhrao Gaekwad of Baroda was meticulously planned. A 12-man committee was formed to look after the wedding and logistics. Maharaja Hanuwant Singh personally supervised the marriage of his sister. The massive Umaid Bhawan palace and Meherangarh fort specially decorated for the wedding. Wedding reports state that the 4500 wedding guests were accommodated and the catering was done by 60 butlers and 125 English style cooks. There was a grand ceremonial procession through the streets of Jodhpur. This was followed by the main ceremony at Umaid Bhawan. The traditional Vedic ceremony lasted for two and half hours while the guests enjoyed cocktails and raucous folk music (Bollywood had not yet come into existence). This was followed by series of receptions. The total cost of the wedding? A whopping 1.4 million dollars and this was in 1948!

Cut to the present and we have the wedding of Rajkumari Shivatmika Kumari, the elder sister of Trishika who married Tikka Saheb Jaideepsinhji Mandhattasinhji (Jaideep Jadeja) of Rajkot on January 24th 2015 in Bangalore. Shivatmika and Trishika’s mother is Maheshri Devi, the Rajkumari of Vizianagaram and she has been living in Bengaluru.

Rajkumari Shivatmika’s wedding with Jaideep Jadeja began with a week of traditional festivities in Rajkot, a still sleepy dusty town of less than a million inhabitants. The seven day wedding celebrations culminated in an 8 km long procession through the main streets that had caparisoned camels, horses and elephants and the Yuvaraj Jaideep Jadeja rode in the golden howdah secured on the back of the bedecked Ambari elephant in the wedding procession known as ‘Fuleka.’ All the royal guests dressed in traditional attire were ferried in a fleet of 50 vintage cars that included a Buick Super, Hillman Minx, Oldsmobile Dynamic 76 Series, Chevrolet Phaeton Master Eagle Convertible Golden, Chevrolet Impala, Chevrolet Bellaire and a Willys Station Wagon.

- This article appeared in the Star Weekend Supplement of the popular evening newspaper of Mysore, 'Star of Mysore' on 25 June 2016, few days before the wedding of current scion of Wadiyar, Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar with Trishika Kumari

The Coronation of the Wodeyar Kings

The coronation of the Kings after the abolish of Privy purse is no longer a grand public event but a very private ceremony. The most glittering coronation was that of the last king of Mysore State, Major-General His Highness Sri Sir Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar Bahadur, Maharaja of Mysore, GCB, GCSI, on 29 August 1940. To those of the citizens of the heritage city of Mysuru privileged to attend that event it was a spectacle that would never be forgotten. The coronation of the last Maharaja’s heir in 1974 was private and subdued.

Anachronistic as it sounds in a country that through an act of the Parliament removed the very word of ‘Royalty’ from its lexicon and rendered the hundreds of kings, nawabs and other minor royalty bereft of all trappings of pomp and transformed them into plain Mr. and Mrs., the fascination for a bejeweled Maharaja being seated on a throne to the sonorous chants of arcane hymns, smoke of the incense reaching the chandeliers high above, the nobles and other invitees dressed in outfits, with swords, draws a concerted and collective in-drawn breath of awe. And for one brief moment in time, one is sucked into the vortex of past and imagined  dormant memories of kingly rituals.

The coronation of the new king of Mysuru slated to be held before the onset of the annual Dasara will be muted but just as grand for those privileged  few. For here is an unbroken tradition of a Wadiyar ascending the throne of a erstwhile kingdom  whose history goes back to several hundreds of years.

Though the Mysuru kingdom can be traced to the establishment of a small principality by Yaduraya in 1399, it was only in 1578 that the kingdom was established by Raja Wadiyar (1578–1617). Between 1939 till the ‘reign’ of Jayachamaraja Wadiyar, there have been 25 kings of the Wadiyar lineage.

It was Raja Wadiyar who first ascended the Golden Throne and proclaimed with his coronation, his rule over the kingdom of Mysuru at Srirangapatna. A word about the Golden Throne is necessary. Shrouded in mystery, this throne which it was claimed belonged to Yudhishthira, the eldest of the Pandava brothers.

The saint Vidyaranya, who is the head of the Sringeri Mutt in 1338, is supposed to have shown the hiding place of the throne to the Vijayanagar King, Harihara, who lived between 1336 and 1357.  Harihara then removes it to his capital and the throne is used for the next two centuries as the royal throne of the Vijayanagar kings. The fall and annihilation of the Vijayanagar empire finds the throne being removed by one of the feudatory chieftains to Srirangapatna. In 1609, Tirumalaraya II gives it to Raja Wadiyar and goes to Malangi. A year later Raja Wadiyar declares himself to be an independent ruler and ascends the Golden Throne and claiming to be the inheritor of Vijayanagar tradition inaugurates the Navaratri and Vijayadashmi at Srirangapatna.

The canons of the Manasara, a 600 CE treatise on architecture and sculpture, which contains an entire chapter on thrones, mentions several kinds of thrones. Thrones  are symbolic seats of authority and symbolize divinity and power, both cosmic and earthly.  There is mention of the  Padmasana Throne, which is the ‘Seat of the Gods,’ the Bhadrasana or auspicious throne and the Lion or Simhasana throne which only those kings who had all the royal attributes could ascend. Scriptural canons say that the Bhadrasana throne is used for coronations and the Simhasana Throne for royal festivals like the Dasara. The Wadiyar kings follow this custom to this day. Thus the heir-designate will ascend the silver throne on the day of his coronation.

There are pictorial records apart from royal murals that show the king being seated on the Golden throne which is a part of the coronation rituals marking the first Durbar of the newly coronated king.

The photograph of the painting shows the coronation of boy King Mummadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar in 1799 at the Kote Venkatramana Temple. In the painting, Dewan Purnaiah is seen on the right side of the king who is seated on the throne.  To the left of king, Lt.Col. Wellesly is seen seated. The throne itself seems flush to the level of the raised platform.

Incidentally, the  Devatanama Kusumamanjari, a Sanskrit work written during the reign of Mummadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar in 1859 in verse form is laudatory and  there is  mention of the various attributes of the throne. The verses about the throne also mention the  mystical  and magical powers that exude an aura around the throne. These powers prevent one who is not worthy from ascending the throne. Mummadi in his illustrated iconographic classic: Sritattvanidhi's first part called Shakti Nidhi gives more description on related topics like:

1. Names of swords which are worthy of King's worship as given in the Hemadri in the section called Khadgapujavidhi.
2. Names of Lions that stand in the eight cardinal directions of a Throne in Hemadri.
3. Names of decorative dolls fixed in the throne as given in Prabhavali- the commentary on Sankhyaratnakosha authored by him.


A legend from the ancient past is evocative enough to be recounted here. The steps of the Golden throne are embellished by figures  of 32  divine maidens. The King Bhoja has discovered the throne under an earthen mound and has it restored in his Palace. With all ceremonies and rituals befitting a king, Bhojaraja ascends the throne only to be thwarted by an invisible force emanating from the divine maidens which prevent from taking another step.  Then damsels then take turns narrating a story that enumerates the virtues  of an ideal king who alone is worthy of being crowned on the throne. The king then through good deeds goes about acquiring the virtues of a godly king and then is able to ascend the throne. . Shades of Arthur’s Excalibur!

Coming back to coronation one discovers that from surviving records of the 1940s that the Wadiyar kings were first installed on the Silver Bhadrasana and then there is the Durbar on the golden throne afterwards it is only during the Dasara festivities that the king ascends the Golden throne. Photographs from the 1940 show the Maharaja Jayachamaraja Wadiyar being installed on the Silver Bhadrasana  while a 1974 photograph shows His Late Highness Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar coronated on the Silver throne.

Be that as it may. There are two abiding reasons why the coronation of the new king is of importance. First this year 2015, marks the 75th  anniversary of the coronation of Jayachamaraja Wadiyar. It is also the  40th anniversary of the Coronation of Srikanatadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar.

Second the history of Mysuru and its peoples is remarkably entwined  with the Kings of the Wadiyar dynasty. From reign of Yaduraya (1399–1423) to Hiriya Bettada Chamaraja Wadiyar I (1423–1459)  and on to Thimmaraja Wadiyar( 1459–1478 ); from  the reign of Hiriya Chamaraja Wadiyar II (1478–1513),Hiriya bettada Chamaraja III Wadiyar (1513–1553),Thimmaraja Wadiyar II (1553–1572),Bola Chamaraja Wadiyar IV (1572–1576),Bettada Chamaraja Wadiyar V(1576–1578),Raja Wadiyar I (1578–1617),Chamaraja Wadiyar VI (1617–1637) and Raja Wadiyar II (1637–1638) and then onwards to various other kings culminating through Khasa Chamaraja Wadiyar IX (1766–1796),Krishnaraja Wadiyar III (1799–1868),Chamarajendra Wadiyar X (1868–1894), and during the regency  of Vani Vilas Sannidhana, queen of Chamarajendra Wadiyar X from 1894 to 1902 and then thence to the reign Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV (1894–1940) and Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar (1940–1950) and lastly Srikantadatta Narsimharaja Wadiyar, (b-1953), ascended the throne in 1974. Once again the dynasty continues unbroken.

We go back in time to the coronation of Mummadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar III. His ascendancy is significant because he was the first Wadiyar king to resume the rule of Mysore by the Wadiyar lineage after a gap of  36 years. It was only the courage, patience and sacrifice of the Queen  Lakshmammani that kept the Wadiyar dynasty alive. On June 30th 1799, the five-year-old Krishnaraja Wadiyar III was crowned the king of Mysore in a traditional coronation ceremony that took place in a special pavilion constructed near the Lakshmiramana Swamy temple in Mysore. Reports say that the  young boy was led by the Duke of Wellington to the throne.

Mummadi died on March 27, 1868. In due course, Dasara festivities started in September but a formal proclamation from Viceroy paving way for the formal installation of the young Prince was not forthcoming thus creating some apprehension in the Royal house hold. But on September 19, (third day of Dasara) Col. Elliot conveyed the good tidings about receipt of a telegram from the Viceroy in this regard. 

On Sept 23, 1868 (Wednesday) (Vibhava Nama Samvatsara, Ashvayuja Shudha 7, Budhavara, Moola Nakshatra) Young Prince Chamaraja Wodeyar X ascended the historic throne assisted by Chief Commissioner Bowring and Col. Elliot holding his hands on either flank.The twenty third Maharaja of the Wodeyar dynasty was selected from the Bettada-Kote Ursu clan. But the British Rendition ended only in 1881 when the Maharaja was invested with the administrative powers.


23 September 1868. Magnificent Mysuru style miniature depicting the coronation of Chamarajendra Wadiyar X in the old wooden palace of Mysuru. Also seen are the royal animals, carriages and palanquin. On the left side of the throne is seated the British Resident and State Officers, on the right side is Aliya Lingaraja Urs who played a significant role during the Regency of Vanivilasa Sannidhana. Artist: Venkatasubbu. Image courtesy: Jayachamarajendra Art Gallery, Mysuru.
A booklet, “ Proceedings of the Installation of His Highness, The Maharaja Chamarajendra Wadiyar Bahadur in the Government of the Territories of Mysore” dated, March 25th , 1881,” states among other things: ”  On March 23rd 1881, the Governor of Madras, Major-General Sir Thomas Munro,  and his staff along with the J. D Gordon, Chief Commissioner of Mysore and the Provisional Commander-in-Chief ‘enter’ Mysore. They are met at the entrance to the town by officers of the Station, the relatives of the Maharaja and officers of the Palace household.”

The publication then goes on to say that: “The Governor announces that he has been empowered by the Viceroy and Governor General and calls on the Chief Secretary to read out the Proclamation …” which announces to the chiefs and people of Mysore that His Highness Maharaja Chamarajendra Wadiyar is hereby  placed in possession of the territories of Mysore and invested with the administration of the Mysore State.....” .

Addresses are presented by various organizations and one in particular is fascinating. The address from the  Coorg Planters’ Association  says among other things that , “ Although we are not part of the Mysore Raj still Your Highness cannot but be aware of the ties which do and must ever exist between Mysore and Coorg.”   

The Wesleyan and London Missionary Societies representing the churches and educational and medical missions are next in the protocol presenting their addresses.

Interestingly the congratulatory address by the Catholic church is in Latin and it is worth reproducing here. It begins thus: “ Serenissimo Principi Ac Domini, / Domino Chamarajendra Wodeyar Bahadur, Mayssurensium Regi,/ Vicarius Apostolicus Mayssurensium and goes on thus : In hac auspicatissima die qua primo regni scetpra tenes, ac imperii habenae tuia juvenilibus manibus committuntur, quum laeto animo haec tuorum subditorum densa corona sua offcia et vota tibi offerunt, et nos Catholicae Religionis asseclae, neque numero, nec certe fida erga tuum Majestatem devotiene infini, te Regem ac ducem nostrum venerabundi salutus . (  “On this most auspicious day when for the first time Your Highness holds the scepter of your Kingdom, and the reins of Government are entrusted to the guidance of your youthful hands, with how glad a heart does this dense throng of your subjects present to Your Highness an offering of their duty and their loyal congratulations. We also, the followers of the Catholic Religion, neither small in number nor certainly the last in devotion to Your Highness, respectfully welcome our Prince and Ruler.” )

Like time-travelers we go to the coronation of  “Maharaja Sir Shri Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar”, who was coronated under unusually sad and untimely demise of his father. The ritual coronation was performed under the Regency of his mother H.H. Vanivilas Sannidhana on 01 February 1895.
Photographed by C.G.Brown, Bangalore, on 01-02-1895 and it was taken during the installation of HH Krishna Raja Wadiyar IV. This picture appeared in GRAPHIC dated June 1, 1895. It was Col. Henderson then Resident in Mysore, who conducted the prince to the steps of the throne and read out the Viceroy's proclamation. He also presented the Maharaja a handsome necklace on behalf the Viceroy.
After attaining majority, Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV was formally invested with the powers of administration through a formal function on 08 August 1902 and the venue was a specially erected pavilion in the Jagan Mohan Palace since the old wooden palace was partially gutted in a accidental fire and the present palace was under construction.


One takes recourse to the India Office records which reveals:  “The road to the approach to the installation pavilion was lined on either side by the Infantry and the Cavalry of the Maharaja’s army. The Guard of Honor was by the Royal Warwickshires, a battle-scarred elite regiment of the British army and the Band and Colours  (Imperial cavalry guards) were stationed at the entrance of the Durbar hall. The Viceroy Curzon  who is to install the new king is met at the Government House by a deputation consisting of the Diwan and the principal officers of the Mysore State.”

A further excerpt extricated from India Office archives: “…the Viceroy Curzon  was accompanied by Mr. Wood, Under secretary ( Foreign Department) , Lt.Col. E. Barring, Military Secretary, Mr Carnduff and His Excellency’s Personal Staff. Also present was J A Bourdillon, the Chief Commissioner.“   The report mentions that there on the dais were two silver Thrones, one of which was subsequently used as a Masnad to which the Maharaja was formally conducted by the Viceroy after being installed.

The Coronation of the last Maharaja Jayachamaraja Wadiyar is evocative as it reflects the love of the people for their sovereign.   A  manifesto published in 1942 titled  ‘Ananda Chandrika‘ by  Ramakrishna Sastri, an Hindi Pandit describes the Pattabhisheka (the installation)  of Jayachamaraja Wadiyar. The author says that Palace astrologers have after consultations chosen the date of the Installation and that invitations have been distributed to all the important citizens. There are buntings and flags festooning the city. Several bullock-carts laden with sugar are sent around the city and sugar-candy was distributed to all the citizens and visitors to the city. 


On the day of the installation all prisoners are pardoned and released.  The King-to-be is dressed in white and bedecked with jewels. He is escorted to the Lakshmi-Vilasa of the Palace where the installation is to be held. The king then performs Kalasha Pooja, sacrificial rituals to Agni and other Gods.  The State elephants, horse and oxen are in attendance even as Palace musicians play compositions some of which have been composed by the Maharaja Jayachamaraja  Wadiyar himself. The king is then installed on the Silver throne!


The scion Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar was coronated on the silver throne in what was a very private ceremony. No chronicler seems to have recorded the proceedings or the arcane rituals that preceded his ascension to the throne. Similar will be the ascension of the heir–designate, Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar who will continue the legacy of the Wadiyar dynasty. The heir designate will be formally adopted on February 23rd 2015 and much before the onset of the Dasara festivities will ascend the silver throne in the Palace within whose premises so much of history has taken place and will continue to do so in the future.

Incidentally, Yaduveer Gopal Raj Urs traces his lineage to Chamaraja Wadiyar. His great great grandmother Jayalakshmammani was the eldest daughter of Chamaraja Wadiyar and Vani Vilasa Sannidhana. Further  his mother, Tripurasundari Devi, is the grand-daughter of the last Maharaja, Jayachamaraja Wadiyar who was the only son of H.H. Yuvaraja Kantheerava Narsimharaja Wadiyar, the second son of Chamaraja Wadiyar and Vani Vilasa Sannidhana.

The Heir-designate is to assume the name “Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar” on his coronation, and will be given the official Royal signet ring (Mohur), the royal seal  and the State sword. 

- A version of this article appeared in the Mysore's popular evening newspaper 'Star of Mysore' on 21 February 2015. Sri Rajachandra pointed out few corrections and the same have been carried out in this article. A warm thanks to respected Sri Rajachandra Sir.

Wadiyar Portraits – A Tradition of Capturing of Memories

Peacock pavilion of the Mysuru Palace is where the coronation of the new King is scheduled to be held on this 28th. In the hall adjacent to this pavilion is the portrait gallery that has on its walls the official coronation paintings of the several Wadiyar rulers along with their family members. The portrait gallery is unique in the sense that it is here that the past is remembered. It is also here that one would, on looking at so many representations of kings, begin to realize the importance that a royal portrait played in private and public life of the nobility.
But it was not only the coronation but also special events that called for it to be immortalized on canvas or photographed or painted. The Daly Memorial Hall which is home to the staid and learned Mythic Society in Bengaluru greets the visitor with a portrait officially commissioned of Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV on the king being conferred with the GCS (the honor of Knight Grand Commander) on January 1st 1907.

The oil on canvas portrait shows the king partly in profile. The GCS Honor is pinned to a sash. The bejeweled necklace covering the neck of sherwani only add to the richness of the attire. The fluted and feathered plume with a jeweled brooch holding it place to the turban also add to the grandeur of this portrait.
But this was a royal portrait; it was meant to capture that moth’s wing flutter of a memory. The portrait painted was at once a recollection of an event while being at the same time a memory-keeper’s almanac. The hidden sutras embedded in these royal portraits take one backwards like a latter-day Wells-ian traveler hurtling to a distant past, let us say to the Official Coronation portrait of a 11-year old Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV who would soon be better known as Nalwadi.
This is a stylized photographic portrait that several artfully placed emblems in the manner of Reynolds for example, the jacquard seat of the chair. The three-legged table with a curved triangular holder while the top seems to be some polished surface. A clock, some leather covered  folders lie and the young prince is resting one hand on them while the other is at his hip. A Beagle is seemed to have been startled by the flash light, stands motionless standing under the table.
The photographer, Buranuddin of Mysuru, has used all possible elements that signify royalty in composing this photograph.
The autographed official photograph of Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar to mark the Silver Jubilee of his coronation in 1927 shows the King dressed somberly resting one hand on the back of the chair while the other is grasping what could be a sword-stick. The single-row bejeweled necklace and the chain and fob in the upper coat pocket add a touch of elegance. Even the Mysore peta is unembellished. The photograph was printed in Germany on water-marked archival paper.
Thus it is clear that commemorative coronation photographs and paintings occupied a singular place in the pictography of the nobility. The old Colonial daguerreotype had just to begun to make significant inroads with several improvements. At the same time master Court painters continued to hold their own as master craftsmen in their attempt to painstakingly transfigure the subject.
Portraits were usually commissioned to commemorate special events. One such important event was the Coronation. In fact one example of the classic Coronation painting which is part of an illustrated manuscript is that of Mummadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar’s coronation. This painting in a private collection was photographed and reproduced in the Star of Mysore. The coronation took place in the Lakshmiramana Swamy temple that lies within the Palace complex. The painting was done in the royal atelier and there is no indication as to the identity of the artist.
One other painting that needs to be mentioned is the one at the Jaganmohan Palace which is that of the coronation scene of Maharaja Chamaraja Wadiyar. The painting vividly captures the historic moment and was painted by the artist Venkata Subbu in 1868.
There is one more official portrait of Chamaraja Wadiyar on being conferred with the Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India in 1892. This photograph reproduced here and which is in a private collection was ‘clicked’ by the famous photographer of the royalty, Raja Deen Dayal of Hyderabad. The photograph is self-revealing and attests to the royalty of the subject.
The portrait apart from its status as keeper of memories, was also, for the Wadiyar kings as it was rulers elsewhere across the country, an essential part of the accoutrements of the Blue-blooded nobility and the wealthier merchant classes.
Raghu Dharmendra, curator of Ramsons Kala Pratishtana (RKP) mentions in his dissertation, ‘Portraiture – In Surapura and Mysore Paintings - a Comparative Study,’ that at least a 1000 portraits of Mummadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar existed many painted in oils, inlaid work that used ivory, silver relief portraits apart from early daguerreotype photographs as well as lithographic prints. There are portraits of the king seated on an elaborately ornate chair, standing next to a pillar with a heavy drapery falling in folds, he is also shown performing puja either by himself or with his consort along with attendants. There are other portraits of the king with various pontiffs depicted as though they are deep in a spiritual discussion.
Going by the profusion of such paintings it would appear to the layman that the king was making a conscious effort to document history. The fact that he also encouraged court painters to create self-portraits and also portraits of other courtiers, officers, artists, employees and noblemen of Mysore, are an indication of the eclectic vision of this extraordinary king. Such portraits can still be seen on the walls of the hallowed Ranga Mahal, the top most floor of the Jaganmohan Palace.
Mummadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar’s passion and his patronage for the visual arts had a dual effect. One, these paintings became a historical record and second, it led to the enthusiastic emulation of the King's passion by the Ursu Nobility as well as the leading citizenry of the kingdom. This led to a plethora of stylized portraitures that captured in all vividness and detail the lives of the people of the kingdom.
All this goes on to prove that portraits were as malleable as that of Dorian Gray’s though in a spiritual manner! Each of the paintings done were a part of a movable feast of images that shifted through time and space remaining to this day re-creators of the past.
Entering the private apartments of the Royal family one goes up the iron balustrade winding staircase. All along the steps just a little above one’s head at regular intervals are portrait paintings of various members of the Mysore Royals. Many of these are busts while others are equestrain portraits and so on.
While the English royalty painters used pastoral themes their Indian counterparts used the very Indian-ness of such public events of those days to display their virtuosity. For instance the 1927 Silver Jubilee of Nalwadi's coronation has been commemorated with a beautiful portrait done by artist Keshavaiah; this masterpiece is on display at the Banquet Hall of the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru while two equally stunning portrait paintings by Y. Nagaraju and S.N. Swamy are in the collection of Ramsons Kala Pratishtana in Mysuru.
The advent of photography did not as expected deal a death knell to the art of portrait paintings as much. The earlier sepia toned photographs of Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar or Chamaraja Wadiyar shows them against a backdrop of classic settings. There is the heavy drapery hanging in folds on one side, a tall stool and heavy carpeting while the king dressed in his royal couture stands with an elbow resting on the stool while he assumes a dignified mien. The old black and white photographs led to another innovation, the painted photograph.
By the time Jayachamaraja Wadiyar ascended the throne, both photography and painted photographs were very much in vogue. But such was the ingenuity of the Indian photographers that their photographs of the Royalty was a marriage of these several stylizations. Thus you have photographs of Jayachamaraja Wadiyar shown in what was supposed to be a candid form. At various times you had special photographs of H.H. Jayachamaraja Wadiyar ‘clicked’ by the then well-known City Studios like Star Studio, Palace Studio and Raj Studio. The variation was of course the painted photograph of H.H. Jayachamaraja Wadiyar by M.N. Murthy.
The photograph taken by the unknown photographer of Palace Studios of H.H. Jayachamaraja Wadiyar in 1940 to commemorate the king’s coronation has been replicated as a painted photograph by artist M.N. Murthy and is now in the RKP collection.
But at no stage did photographs or painted photographs replace the portrait painter. There are paintings of H.H. Jayachamaraja Wadiyar by Y. Nagaraju and Subramanya Raju are on display at the Jaganmohan Palace gallery while the one done by Madhugiri Ramoo is in a private collection.
The tradition of painting historical events continues to this day. The last scion of the Royal House of Mysuru, the Late Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar along with his sisters and their husbands has been painted as several individual portraits by M. Ramanarsayya, the former Superintendent of Jaganmohan Palace.
It is with the intention of keeping this tradition alive, that Ramsons Kala Pratishtana (RKP) first commissioned artist K.S. Shreehari in 2014 to paint a classical portrait in the Mysore style of Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar based on the photographs of 2013 Navaratri Khas Darbar.
This was followed by commissioning artist Manish Verma to recreate a Mysore style painting using a photograph of the Maharaja designate, Sri Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar. 
This classic Mysore style portraiture shows the king accoutered in his royal vestments and Mysore peta adorning his head while his posture follows the classic from that can be seen in many of the portraits of the present king’s ancestors. He is seated on the silver Bhadrasana which suggests that he has just been invested with the (symbolic) royal authority of Mysore Kingdom, the Maharaja of Mysore. 
-An edited version of this article had appeared in the evening newspaper 'Star of Mysore' on 27 May 2015