A princess reminisces about the Dasara
For a lot of old time residents of Mysuru and members of the royal family, the memory of the Dasara under the Wadiyars burns bright. The pomp and splendour with which the festival was celebrated also made it synonymous with the city.
One such person who remembers the Dasaras of Mysuru’s past, is Princess Kamakshi Devi Wadiyar. She is married to Atmanya Dev Jhala, Rajput prince of Wadhwan, in Gujarat. She resides in Bengaluru.
Sharing her memories with Deccan Herald, she says: “My memories of the royal Mysuru Dasara, during my late father Maharaja Jayachamaraja Wadiyar’s time, are evergreen”.
Under the Wadiyars, Mysuru was resplendent during the annual Dasara festival. It changed into a fairyland and the festivities would begin on the first day or Padya (first day of month) of Navaratri, in the Ashwayuja month, with the Nagaris (traditional musicians) beating their drums and blowing their trumpets or horns.
Earlier, the elephants were kept separately at Aane Karoti in Kote Mohalla. Only the Pattada Aane (state elephant) and Pattada Kudre (state horse) were housed in the palace. They would be readied and taken to Kodi Someshwara Temple for the puja.
Only on the first day of Navaratri, the royal durbar was held in the morning. During my father’s time, the durbar was very grand.
The Durbar Hall would be spruced up, lovely red carpets rolled out, and durbar chairs put out for invitees. The Durbar Hall would look majestic and resplendent.
My father would enter the Durbar after paying obeisance to Atma Vilas Ganapathi. He would be heralded by the chanting of Parakh — praising the ruler. After that, my father would bow to the throne, in respect, and then ascend it.
The Royal Mysuru State anthem Kayo Shri Gowri... would be played after he ascended the throne, when he would receive a royal salute. He was then offered nazar (gift or offering) from invitees and his Aide De Camp.
In the foreyard of the Mysuru Palace, the band would play music. Mysore Armed Reserve Police (MARP) would perform a dressage show of horses, which moved in tandem with the music. It was a visual treat. Musicians from the neighbouring states would come and perform.
The state elephant and state horse used to come in a procession from Jaya Marthanda Gate to the durbar hall. The state elephant would hold a fan with his trunk and fan himself, till he reached the durbar hall. There used to be a special stool, placed for him, to climb with his front legs and offer flowers to my father, who would be seated on the throne.
A large cushion used to be placed for the state horse, to bow down graciously to the throne. They were so well-trained, that they rarely missed a step.
This was the last part of the durbar.
This happened on all nine days of Navaratri, with different entertainment programmes, by MARP. There was also a fancy marching by the MARP. The horses added to the show, by cantering to the music of the band.
But earlier, the MARP were known as HH Maharaja of Mysore’s Bodyguards.
On the seventh day was Saraswati Puja, when all musical instruments and books were worshipped, to get the divine grace from Goddess Saraswati. Eighth day was Kala Ratri Puja, when the demon was vanquished by Goddess Chamundeshwari.
Ninth day, Mahanavami, also known as Ayudha Puja, used to be very grand, since all weapons were displayed and worshipped in the Kalyana Mantap of Mysuru Palace. The worshipped weapons were then sent on a golden chariot to Bannimantapa. The state elephant and state horse were brought to be worshipped by my father and then moved to the temple. Then coaches and cars would be paraded for the puja.
The 10th day, Vijayadashami, was the grand finale. Jamboo Savari or procession of the golden howdah was an awesome sight. Vajra Mushti Kalaga (traditional wrestling) took place on Vijayadashami morning. It was very popular and a must see phenomenon.
Final procession
In the afternoon, the golden howdah would be put on the caparisoned elephant, which was a sight to behold. The murals on the walls of the Kalyana Mantapa in Mysuru Palace depict the procession during my father’s time. The route took one and a half hours to reach the Bannimantapa. However, there used to be lots of stops on the way for the people to offer flowers.
Another grandiose experience was the torchlight parade in Bannimantapa. My father, the Maharaja, would be surrounded by his horse-mounted bodyguards with lamps in their hands, which looked surreal. The illumination looked marvellous and we all looked forward to it every year.
The last Dasara celebrated by my father as Maharaja of Mysuru was in 1969, after which a lot of changes took place. The privileges were cancelled and the privy purse was abolished by the government.
My father, with much dignity and humility, did not ascend the throne after that. He placed the royal sword on the throne, as he felt that he was no longer officially recognised as Maharaja. He then changed the grand durbar to a simple one, mainly because the rituals needed to be carried on.
After my father passed away, my brother Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar carried on with the Dasara rituals. My sisters Gayatri Devi, Meenakshi Devi, Indrakshi Devi and Vishalakshi Devi were also present.
The present Dasara has become symbolic and gives only a glimmer of the past. It is not the same as before. But the memories linger on.
(As told to T R Sathish Kumar)
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