Mysuru scion Yaduveer ties knot

Maharani Pramoda Devi Wadiyar greets her adopted son Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar during his wedding with Trishika Kumari Singh from Rajasthan’s Dungarpur dynasty in Mysuru. (Photo: PTI)

The 27th scion of the 600-year-old Wadiyar dynasty of Mysuru, Yaduvamshi Sri Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, tied the knot with Trishikha Kumari of the Rajkot royal family at a simple yet elaborate ceremony of 28 rituals conducted by 25 priests led by the Dharmadikari of the Mysore Palace, Sri Janardhan Iyengar, in the Smartha and Srivyshnava traditions at the auspicious hour of 10.25 am on Monday.

Dressed in a magenta pink brocade sherwani and gold trousers — an outfit designed by his mother, Pramodadevi Wadiyar — and wearing the traditional jewellery of the maharajas, the young scion was a perfect foil for his bride, Trishikha, decked in an orange saree lined with a magenta pink border and traditional south Indian jewellery. The couple wed in a mantapa, specially decorated with jasmine flowers and lotus buds, at the palace kalyanamantapa to the strains of the nadaswara and the Mysuru palace band in the presence of around 500 guests, who included members of the royal families of Punjab, Auwa, Siroy, Dungarkar, Rajkot, Jodpur, Udaipur, Vijaynagar, and Kishan Gat, and family and friends from the US and Germany. Arriving at the palace at 6.30 am, Yaduveer was received with an arati at the Savar Thotti before leaving for the kalyanamantapa where he performed a series of rituals.

Trishikha meanwhile performed the Gowri pooja at her private pooja room in the palace before arriving at the kalyanamantapa at 9.05 am for the Kanyanireekshnane.

A few other rituals later, the kanya daana was performed by her parents at 10.09 am. As the clock struck 10.23 am other rituals followed and the couple was fed prasada from the Chamundeswari, Chaluvanarayanaswamy and Srikanteswara temples among others.

The Parakal Math swamiji offered the royal bride a silk saree and the young royal groom a silk valli and panche. The rituals concluded at around 1pm and was followed by a “ Raja boga” prepared by 25 cooks for over 800 guests.

The spread of 26 dishes, which included pheni, laddoos, badam milk, shavige payasa, chilli bajjis, ambodes, akki roti, kai tomato, yennegai gojju, channa masala, batura, and bisibele bath served with ghee and boondi, grapes gojju, mango chutney, thindora fry, beans palya, hesarubele and kosambari, was served on plantain leaf along with ice cream filled into mangoes hollowed by removal of their pulp.

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, including governor Vajubhai Rudabai Wala, chief minister Siddaramaiah, Union minister Ananth Kumar, besides other ministers, members of royal families, and consulate generals of Britain, Japan and Israel, in attendance.

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. They were accompanied by musicians ,Jayachandra Rao and B C Manjunth on the double mrindanga, and Amrit and Guruprasanna on the double kanjara. The public, which was kept out in the morning, was allowed to watch the Urutane on Uyyale performed in the main Durbar hall from the palace grounds where a big LCD screen was erected for their benefit. 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 in the palace grounds the same evening.