JOIN USUnlike the previous years, the royal family of Mysore (Wadiyars) will be holding their ‘jamboo savari’ on October 3 within the Palace precincts, a day before the government-sponsored event on October 4. This is a first in recent years.
Following the death of Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar, the scion of the royal family, last December, Chaduranga Kantharaj Urs, the elder nephew of Wadiyar, will lead the rituals connected with the day-long ceremony, starting from Ayudha puja, between 10 am and 6 pm.
Sources told Deccan Herald that the royal sword (the sword handed over to the king signalling the transfer of power during his anointment) will be kept inside the silver palanquin, the highlight of Wadiyars’ jamboo savari. It is scheduled to start from 5.30 pm.
Earlier, Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar used to be taken out in the palanquin pulled by bullocks to offer puja to the ‘Banni’ tree at the Bhuvaneshwari Temple near Jayamarthanda Gate of the palace. In the absence of a successor, the sword will be kept inside the palanquin to fulfil the rituals, like in the case of the ‘Khasagi Durbar,’ during which the sword was kept on the golden throne.
Usually, the private jamboo savari of the Wadiyars is held on the same day, before the start of the government-sponsored procession.
The change this year is attributed to the advice of royal priests, going by the ‘nakshatra’ (star) and auspicious time. ‘Vajramushti kalaga,’ the traditional wrestling, is another highlight of the day, scheduled to be conducted after Ayudha puja, between 4 pm and 5.30 pm.
Two pairs of wrestlers with ivory-made sharp objects in their fists will slug it out. The wrestler who inflicts wound on the forehead of his opponent will be declared the winner. In all, around 1,000 people are expected to participate in the ceremony.