Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, the adopted son of Pramoda Devi Wadiyar will be crowned as the ‘prince’ of the erstwhile Wadiyar dynasty at Amba Vilas Palace here on May 28. He will ascend the silver throne (Bhadrasana) soon after his coronation.
He may have to wait till Dasara to ascend the golden throne on which the heirs conduct 'khas durbar'.
The last ‘coronation’ at the palace was performed 41 years ago – on October 16, 1974 – when the late Srikantadatta Narsimharaja Wadiyar turned 21. He was crowned during the Navarathri celebrations.
Over 1,000 special guests, including royal family members, close family relatives and friends, are expected to witness the coronation.
Addressing a crowded press conference at the palace here on Monday, Ms. Wadiyar said the coronation would be held between 9.30 a.m. and 10.30 a.m. at the Kalyana Mantap inside the palace.
Due to space constraints and paucity of time, only a few guests were being invited, she said, including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his Cabinet colleagues.
The two-day coronation ceremony will begin on May 27, with a series of religious ceremonies, including ‘Kankata Dharana’,. After the ceremony, Yaduveer, accompanied by Ms. Wadiyar, his biological parents and family members, will visit around 10 temples and seek blessings.
A public reception had been arranged in the forecourt of the palace the same evening at 6.30 p.m. “There will be no procession,” she said. Ms. Wadiyar said the coronation ceremony had been fixed for May 28 as the day was auspicious. “Moreover, we wanted to complete the traditional ceremony before Dasara.”
Mr. Yaduveer said he was delighted about his coronation. “I am trying to understand the ritual by going through previous records of coronation, including that of late Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar,” he replied.
The US-educated Yaduveer said his fiancé Trishika Kumari would be present at the event. “My friends from the US will not be part of this event but are likely to be there for my marriage,” he replied.
