Dasara celebrations: Mysuru royal family starts rituals

Aerial view of Illuminated Mysuru Palace.

The royal family conducted Khas Durbar, the symbolic durbar sitting, at the ornate, glass-topped Amba Vilas.

Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar ascended the throne and conducted the durbar.

The royal family conducted Khas Durbar, the symbolic durbar sitting, at the ornate, glass-topped Amba Vilas.

Senior member of the Mysuru royal family Pramoda Devi Wadiyar and maharani Trishikha Devi with prince Aadyaveer Narasimharaja Wadiyar, son of Yaduveer, during Khas Durbar at Amba Vilas in Mysuru Palace.

10-month-old son Aadyaveer, alternatively held by his mother Trishika Kumari Devi and Pramoda Devi Wadiyar, who attracted all the attention. Aadyaveer, seated in the royal room at the Durbar Hall, was present through the entire event.

The Mysuru royal family’s traditional and colourful Khas Durbar, where the maharaja ascends the fabled golden throne and conducts a durbar, began at the Mysuru Palace on Wednesday.

Attired in traditonal wear, Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, the scion of the royal family, performed a puja to the golden throne and, in the tradition of the Wadiyars, went around the ‘pradakshina’ thrice before ascending it.

The ceremony began with Yaduveer performing puja to Ganapathi and royal deity Chamundeshwari.

Keeping its date with centuries-old tradition, Mysuru got into festive mood even as various cultural programmes were flagged off on Wednesday.

The Khas Durbar (private durbar) is conducted on all nine days by members of the Mysuru Royal family inside the palace.

Yaduveer Krishnadutta Chamraj, a member of the Mysuru royal family participates in a ritual ahead of Dussehra celebrations, in Mysore