Prez to inaugurate birth centenary of JC Wadiyar

Pramoda Devi Wadiyar, the head of the erstwhile royal family, on Saturday said that President Ram Nath Kovind would inaugurate the third session of the birth centenary celebration of late Maharaja Jayachamaraja (JC) Wadiyar at the Durbar Hall of the Mysuru Palace on October 10 at 7.30 pm.

Two sessions were already held at Mysuru and Bengaluru.

"The President will release a book ‘Srividya Sankeerthana Sudhalahari’ in Kannada and Devanagari script which contains both literature and musical notes of 94 Carnatic classical music compositions of JC Wadiyar," she told reporters.

“While a host of Military and Police bands will play music in honour of the President on October 10, Raghu Dixit will perform on the Palace courtyard (forecourt) on October 13 at 6.30 pm,” she added.

“My late husband Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar had compiled the manuscript of all 94 compositions in 1975 itself. However, he could not realise his dream of publishing it. Now Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar (SDNR Wadiyar) Foundation has published the book. The programme will be unique in many ways. Even the invocation will be JC Wadiyar’s composition, not only literature, but also the raga ‘Jayasamvardhini’ on which it is based,” said Pramoda Devi Wadiyar.

“Military and Police bands will be held in the forecourt of the Palace. Seating arrangement will be made for the people to enjoy the music. Madras Engineering Group and Centre, Bengaluru; Madras Regimental Centre, Wellington, Ooty; Maratha Light Infantry Regiment, Belgavi; 61st Cavalry, Jaipur; Karnataka and Kerala Sub-Area, Bengaluru; KSRP-Mounted Police, Mysuru; Karnataka State Police Band, Mysuru; and ASC Centre and College, Bengaluru; will take part in the programme,” she said.

She said that Mysuru had a bonding with 61st Cavalry of Jaipur as Mysuru Lancers, which was led by Col J Desa Raj Urs in the historical ‘Battle of Haifa’, was merged into it.

"The President will also unveil the plaque of the University of Mysuru (UoM), which is establishing Sri Jayachamaraja Wadiyar Centre for Higher Learning on a 22 acre land at the foot of Chamudi Hill," she said.

“During a visit to Logopaedic Institute at Wichita in the USA, JC Wadiyar saw a need for a similar institute in Mysuru and donated the land to All India Institute for Speech and Hearing (AIISH). As the UoM parted a portion of its Manasagangotri campus for AIISH, the AIISH land was given to UoM,” she recalled.