Write Comment     |     E-Mail To a Friend     |     Facebook     |     Twitter     |     Print

Rituals associated with his coronation ceremony begin at Amba Vilas Palace

The majestic kalyanamantapa (marriage hall) at Amba Vilas Palace came alive on Wednesday with the beginning of the two-day rituals associated with the coronation of royal scion Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar as the next heir of the Yadu dyna­sty, scheduled for Thursday.

Yaduveer will be anointed as the 27th king, though titular, during the auspicious Karkataka lagna between 9.30 am and 10.35 am on the day. On Wednesday, the rituals began with Arasu women bringing ‘devaru’ (a tumbler of water considered sacred) in a procession from Kodi Someshwara temple, situated on the left side of Jayamarthanda gate of the Palace. A pair of caparisoned elephants, belonging to the Palace, along with a pair of camels, cow and horse made the procession complete.

Yaduveer, in a car, with royal guards in tow, went to Lakshminarasimha Swamy temple to offer his obeisance. Earlier, he worshipped the presiding deity of the erstwhile royal family Goddess Chamundeshwari at Chamundi thotti (a hall inside the Palace). Yaduveer performed the padapuja of his mother (foster) Pramoda Devi Wadiyar, followed by rajaguru Parakala mutt seer Abhinava Vagheesha Sri Brahmatantra Swatantra Parakala.

 A band of priests, led by the Palace dharmadhikari, Janardhana Iyengar, supervised the rituals. Later, in the evening, Yaduveer wore Kankana (a white cloth soaked in turmeric and tied on the right wrist), considered as a prerequisite for the main event of ascending the Bhadrasana (silver throne) that marks his coronation. It will be removed only after the ceremony is completed.

A huge LED screen had been put up outside the entrance of kalyanamantapa to enable the invitees to watch the goings-on live. Chairs covered with white clothes, keeping with the royal protocol, had been put out both inside and outside the venue. Yaduveer, clad in a silk sherwani and dhoti, with a necklace of Gandabherunda (an imaginary bird considered as the emblem of the erstwhile royal family), made of rubies, emeralds, diamonds and pearls, decorating his neck, was the cynosure of all eyes.

Fiancee among...

Prominent among those who witnessed the ceremony were Yaduveer’s fiancee Trishika Kumari Singh (in pic, left), his mother Pramoda Devi Wadiyar, biological mother Tripurasundari Devi and other invitees. Like during the adoption ceremony (of Yaduveer held on February 23 this year), the invitees, who included only close relatives, were seen wearing durbar dress (a long coat and turban) or national dress (suit).

The dress code had been issued by the erstwhile royal family for the occasion. The police have made elaborate security arrangements with all the gates to the Palace closed for two days till May 28. Barring invitees and media persons, possessing entry passes issued by the office of the erstwhile royal family, no others are allowed inside the Palace.

Today’s events

Ascending the silver throne: 9.30 am to 10.35 am
Maharaja to visit temples within palace precincts:
3 pm onwards
Reception at durbar hall: 6.30 pm