JOIN USYaduveer Gopal Raj Urs was today declared as the new heir to the Mysuru royal family by Pramoda Devi Wodeyar, widow of the last scion Srikanta Datta Narasimharaja Wodeyar.
Yaduveer is the grandson of Princess Gayatri Devi, the eldest daughter of the last Maharaja Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar.
"Chiranjivi Yaduveer Gopal Raj Urs' adoption ceremony will happen according to family traditions. I believe that my decision has the blessings of my beloved husband Late scion Srikanta Datta Narasimharaja Wodeyar," an emotional Pramoda Devi told reporters here.
"This decision has consent from his (Srikanta Datta Wodeyar) sisters and other family members," she said.
Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wodeyar, the last descendant of the Wodeyar dynasty, died of cardiac arrest at a private hospital in Bengaluru on December 10, 2013.
Wodeyar, the only son of Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar, the last ruling Maharaja of Mysore, and his second wife, Maharani Tripura Sundari Ammani Avaru, succeeded his father as the head of his dynasty in September 1974.
He had remained the titular head of the erstwhile royalty during the famous Dasara festivities after succeeding as heir to his father in 1974.
Pramoda Devi is a distant cousin of Wodeyar and as the couple have no children, she will now have to adopt Yaduveer to nominate him as the successor.
Pramoda Devi said Yaduveer is currently doing his BA in Economics and English at Boston University in America.
She said "like me Yaduveer belongs to Bettada Kote family," adding that the relationship between Wodeyar family of Mysuru and Bettada Kote family dates back to 200 years.
After his adoption on February 23, Yaduveer will be renamed as Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wodeyar.
Interestingly the last rite of the late scion was performed by Chaduranga Kantaraj Urs, the other nephew of the late Wodeyar, fueling speculations that he may be named as the successor. Recently Chaduranga Kantaraj Urs had gone to the media on succession issue.
The Wodeyar dynasty ruled the Kingdom of Mysore from 1399 to 1947, the last king being Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar, who ruled from 1940 until Indian independence in 1947 when he acceded his Kingdom to the dominion of India, but continued as the Maharaja until India became a Republic in 1950.