The wedding rituals of Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, the scion of the Mysuru royal family, and Trishika Kumari of the Dungarpur royal family began on Friday. Sources close to the royal family said rituals such as temple visits and pujas began on Friday, but the main rituals would commence in the early hours of Saturday and go on till Monday, when the couple will tie the knot between 9.05 a.m. and 9.35 a.m.
A red-carpet welcome awaits the country’s royal families and invitees at the iconic Amba Vilas Palace, which is hosting a royal wedding after many years.
The palace will play host to the VVIP assembly, including royal families, political leaders, business heads, friends and relatives of the Wadiyars over the next few days. Trishika Kumari’s parents Harshvardhan Singh and Maheshree Kumari have arrived in Mysuru along with their relatives and are staying at a five-star hotel here.
According to sources, more royal families from North India are expected to join the celebrations over the weekend.
Pramoda Devi Wadiyar, wife of the late Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar, is personally monitoring the arrangements with a battery of palace staff on duty. The royal family has planned a lavish spread of food, including the traditional South Indian fare, for the invitees. A large makeshift kitchen has put up on the premises.
Jumbo-sized water-proof pandals have been put up around the residential palace for hosting lunch and dinner. The forecourt too is being decked up for the wedding reception.
But the kalyana mantapa, the stately octagonal hall in the palace which will host the wedding, is where the decorations are at their most majestic.
But sources told The Hindu that as only about 500 people can be seated here, the number of invitees for the wedding is far lower that that for the reception. The forecourt area can host up to 2,500 people.
Closed for tourists
Meanwhile, the palace was officially closed for visitors for six days from Friday. On weekends, over 10,000 tourists visit the palace on average, with the numbers shooting up during vacation months and public holidays. Over three million tourists visit the palace annually.
Policemen have been deployed at the main palace gates to keep an eye on who is going in and coming out.
