Mysuru: The times have changed, but the traditions remain intact. Although the young scion of the Mysore royal family, Yaduveer’s wedding with his bride, Trishika was not on the scale of the wedding of the late Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar and Pramoda Devi, it had all the traditional trappings.
“Our brother’s wedding was ten times grander with over 10,000 guests invited to it. But all the traditions have remained intact,” said the late scion’s sisters, Indrakshi Devi, Kamashi Devi and Vishalakshi Devi, giving Pramoda Devi a big thumbs up for having “done a great job” with the arrangements for her adopted son’s nuptials.
“Those were the days when our father Jayachamaraja Wadiyar was alive and the privy purse was still not abolished. When our elder sisters, Meenakshi Devi, Gayathri Devi and Kamakshi Devi, were married the bride and groom were taken in a procession seated in the golden howdah atop an elephant in the palace grounds. And when Srikantadatta got married, the couple went in procession in a car in the palace grounds before going out to greet the crowd,” recounted Ms Indrakshi Devi, adding, “That is something which cannot be replicated, but the traditions remain alive and the glory is still not lost.”
Said a member of the royal family, Varchus Siddalinga Raj Urs, “After two deaths in our family, including that of my uncle, Srikantadatta and my mother, Gayathridevi, it is nice to have a joyous occasion here. It is a new beginning.”
To Huzur Secretary (Secretary to the Maharaja), Lakshminarayan M, who has served the palace for 45 years, since he was 17 years old, Monday’s palace wedding was a happy experience.
Having witnessed the weddings of the late Srikantadatta, his two sisters and Mr Yaduveer’s mother, he was happy to see another Wadiyar tie the knot “For a commoner like me, the wedding was very exciting and thrilling as the people of Mysuru still adore the royal family,” he said.
A guest at the wedding, R J Singh of Ramsons’ Kalaprathishtaana, admitted he found the occasion rather overwhelming owing to the grandeur and traditions that accompanied it.
Play with flower balls, swing like the royals do!
As evening fell, the palace took on a fairytale like grandeur, glowing in the illumination provided for the occasion. Although the wedding ceremony was a private affair, the evening ritual of Urutane on Uyyale,where the bride and groom played with a ball of flowers while seated on a swing, saw over 2,000 guests.
A performance by violinists of international repute, Dr Mysore Manjunath and Mysore Nagaraj followed on a podium used for similar concerts in the time of Jayachamaraja Wadiyar. Similar arrangements are being made for the wedding reception Tuesday evening.
Wednesday will see the Nagavalli ritual, where the bride will receive a second mangalya with karimani. The couple will go in procession on the palace grounds the same evening.
