JOIN USWhile the next successor to Srikantadatta Wadiyar remains uncertain, the myth of the ‘curse of Alamelamma’ has started doing rounds.
Legend has it that Alamelamma, who was the second wife of Tirumalaraja, a feudatory of Vijayanagara empire, was behind the curse, due to which every alternate generation of Wadiyars goes childless and is forced to adopt an heir.
Though the legend has not been verified historically, the ‘curse of Alamelamma’ springs up whenever the Mysore Maharaja goes without an heir. Alamelamma is said to have cursed the Wadiyars, soon after Raja Wadiyar attacked Srirangapatna, a part of Vijayanagara Empire. After the conquest, Alamelamma was unable to enter Srirangapatna and remained in the adjoining village of Malangi.
Alamelamma was in possession of precious jewels, which caught the eye of Raja Wadiyar, who ordered his soldiers to bring him the jewels. Alamelamma, however, refused to part with the jewels, save a pearl nose ring.
Triveni Urs, professor, Mangalore University, specialising in the history of Mysore dynasty, said that Alamelamma realised that the jewels would be forcefully taken from her, grabbed the jewels and ran away.
She reached a cliff overlooking River Cauvery and realised that soldiers were still in her pursuit. She decided to plunge herself into the river, while making a point to curse the Wadiyars.
“Talakadu Maralagali, Malangi Maduvagali, Mysooru Arasarige Makkalagadirali” (May Talakadu be filled with sand, Malangi become a whirlpool and may Mysore kings never beget children) was the curse, Urs said.
Though the fable has little historical ground, alternate generations of Wadiyars
continued to have no children, thereby no heirs to the dynasty, forcing them to adopt.
For instance, Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar, one of the most celebrated Wadiyar kings, had no children and chose his nephew Jayachamaraja Wadiyar as his heir.
Srikantadatta was born to Jayachamaraja Wadiyar and was later declared the heir. However, Srikantadatta Wadiyar has no children, leaving a question mark on who the next heir will be and renewing the fable of Alamelamma’s curse.