Mysore: The 404th year of Mysore Dasara festivities drew to a close with the world-famous Jumbo Savari, or the Vijayadashami procession, on Saturday.
A stately flow of 11 caparisoned elephants and an ensemble of cultural troupes conjured images of a lavishly ornate past. This year’s festivities are the first Dasara without a Maharaja. But this did not take away from the fervor of celebrations. In fact, there was a noticeable surge in the number of tourists this time around.
Earlier, in the run-up to the festival, there were apprehensions of a low tourist turnout due to tension between the Mysore royal family and the state government, which delayed organizers from finalizing the events. Even the sudden demise of the last scion of the royal family, Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar, did not take the sheen off the Dassera festival, now celebrated as Naada Habba (state festival). All the venues were bustling with tourists in the past 10 days and the Jumbo Savari was watched by lakhs of people en route the five-km stretch from the palace premises to Bannimantap ground.
Symbolising the triumph of good over evil, in a tradition inherited from the Vijayanagar emperors, Jumbo Savari rolled out of the palace through Balarama gate complete with an assembly of colourful tableaux and folk troupes showcasing the cultural diversity of the State. The procession was preceded by special prayers at ‘Nandi Dhwaja’ at around 1 pm near the Balarama gate, where Chief Minister Siddaramaiah offered prayers for the welfare of the people.
Mr. Siddaramaiah officially gave the go-ahead to the Jumbo Savari at around 1.20 pm and the next two hours was a razzmatazz of pomp and gaiety. ‘Nishane Aane’ Balarama, ‘Naufat Aane’ Gajendra led the procession followed by ‘Sala’ elephants Gopi, Prashanth, Harsha, Varalakshmi and Vikrama. Later, Abhimanyu effortlessly pulled the chariot while musicians played palace music composed by Jayachamaraja Wadiyar.
The moment, which lakhs of people waited for hours in the scorching sun to witness, came at 3.15 pm as Arjuna came carrying the 750 kg golden howdah with an idol of the goddess Chamundeshwari and walked towards the central arena.
The Chief Minister offered floral tributes to the idol of the goddess from a specially-erected podium, evoking a devotional outpouring. As the 21-gun salute boomed in the background and the cannon sounded, the police band played the national anthem, and Arjuna, alongside ‘kumki’ elephants Mari and Kaveri, raised their trunks spontaneously in a gesture of salute that won the admiration of everyone inside the palace. The procession culminated at Bannimantap ground at around 5.15 pm.
Tourists disappointed with change
Hundreds of people, especially foreigners were left disappointed when they missed the Vijayadashami procession of the Mysore royal family. All these years, the royal family and the government have held separate processions on the same day to mark Vijayadashami. Tourists, who generally arrive at the palace in the morning, watch the centuries-old tradition ‘Vajramusti Kalaga’ and the procession filled with royal pedigree wend its way to Bhuvaneshwari temple. In the afternoon, they take their seats to watch the state-sponsored Jumbo Savari. For the first time in history, the royal family this year concluded its festivities a day earlier.
Tearful queen oversees procession
Despite mourning the death of her husband, the last scion of the royal family Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar, a tearful Maharani Pramoda Devi oversaw all the rituals and traditions associated with the time-honoured Mysore dasara. On Friday morning, Mr. Wadiyar’s eleder sister Gayatri Devi’s son Kantharaj Urs continued as male designate and conducted Ayudha Puja at Kalyan Mantap of Mysore Palace. He worshipped the royal weaponry, luxury cars once used by Mr. Wadiyar and the palace animals, including elephants, horses, camels and cows. While the rituals were going on between 10.05 am to 10.45 am, Mrs. Pramoda Devi could not control her emotions and broke down. In the evening, a simple Vijayadashami procession was held, keeping the royal sword on the silver palanquin. Earlier, centuries-old Vajramusti Kalaga was held, continuing the tradition. The nephew of the late maharaja, Mr. Kantharaj Urs walked alongside the silver palanquin, which was carried by palace staff till Bhuvaneshwari temple, where Mr. Kantharaj Urs offered puja to the Banni tree while carrying the sword, continuing the custom practiced by Mr. Wadiyar earlier.
Battle royale on cards between state and maharani?
The feud between the royal family and state government rages on. In a significant development, the state government has reportedly filed a caveat in the High Court over Garikemala (Doddakere Maidan), a prime property of 10.36 acres located right in front of Mysore palace. This is sure to further deepen the feud between the royal family and the state government. Sources said the caveat was filed by Karnataka Exhibition Authority (KEA). Interestingly, the caveat was filed when the government was negotiating peace with the royal family in conducing Mysore dasara festivities. Earlier, Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) had staked its claim on the property, but its petition was dismissed both in the local court and the high court. Mr. Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar, last scion of the royal family, had won the legal battle over the property in the high court and erected signboards announcing that the property belongs to him. On September 12, 2009, the high court in its order ruled that Garikemala was the private property of Mr. Wadiyar as MUDA failed to submit any document saying the property was transferred to MUDA, earlier called City Improvement Trust Board, through a gift deed by Mr. Wadiyar’s father Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar in 1904. According to an accession agreement between then- Maharaja of Mysore and Union of India, Garikemala, was given as a private property of the Maharaja. In 1992, the Department of Income Tax had auctioned a portion of Garikemala for recovery of IT arrears due from Mr. Wadiyar. Shivarathreshwara Maha Vidya Peeta headed by the Suttur seer had bought a portion of land in the auction. It remains to be seen how Maharani Pramoda Devi will respond. This is a clear indication that the state government headed by CM Siddaramaiah will not come to the negotiating table with the royal family. With Dasara festivities drawing to an end, the focus now will be on the appointment of a successor to the 600-year-old Yadu dynasty and how Mrs. Pramoda Devi will tackle the legal battle.
