Forty years after Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar tied the knot in the same hall at Amba Vilas Palace, Mysuru’s young ‘king’ Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar wed Trishika Kumari of Rajasthan’s Dungarpur royal family on Monday.
Yaduveer, 24, was adopted by Pramoda Devi Wadiyar last year to continue the royal lineage and the wedding forms part of a 600-year old tradition.
Against an ornate backdrop of gold and pista brocade columns and peacock feather-design stained glass, Yaduveer, in a pink-and-gold sherwani and Mysuru peta , tied the mangalasutra on 22-year old Trishika Kumari at 10.24 a.m. The fragrance of Mysuru jasmine was everywhere.
Earlier, Trishika, dressed in a magenta and saffron silk saree, presented Yaduveer with a jasmine ‘highness garland.’
The late Sri Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar tied the knot with Pramoda Devi at a glittering ceremony four decades ago.
Today, an explosion of colour enveloped the wedding hall –— in the hues of Mysuru petas , Himachal topis and Rajasthani pagdis . Members of the Urs family turned out in traditional durbar wear (as the invite mentioned): long coat, valli (a brocade strip around the chest) and turban.
Present were royal families from Sirohi in Rajasthan, Rajkot in Gujarat, Nabha in Punjab; those from Udaipur, Jodhpur and Idar were expected for the reception on Tuesday. Pramoda Devi looked every bit a tired but happy mother. She said she was satisfied at having fulfilled her responsibilities to uphold the legacy of the Wadiyars.
Yaduveer’s biological mother Tripurasundari Devi, said she had known Trishika since she was a child. “She is like my own daughter,” she told The Hindu .
It was a lavish wedding and food was naturally a major attraction: a 26-course meal made by caterers from Bengaluru. It was traditional Kannadiga, but with a twist: laddu pheni, drakshi (raisin) gojju and mango ice cream – served frozen in mango slices from which the pulp had been scooped out.
Tradition ruled, but modernity went hand-in-hand: selfie sticks and live telecasts recorded it for posterity.
The wedding rituals which began on Saturday were witnessed by a select audience of about 450 family members and close relatives, with three dozen priests in attendance. The celebrations will go on till June 29.
Outside the palace, few were aware of “the marriage”. People only knew that the palace was closed to the public.
In true royal style, “Only VVIPS and family were invited for the wedding,” said one autorickshaw driver, “for us it’s just any other day.”
