A tradition continues in Mysore, as BJP occupies Dasara Stage | A. Jayaram

Published on 10-10-2008 In General

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A tradition continues in Mysore, as BJP occupies Dasara Stage

For the first time the Bharatiya Janata Party ministers and leaders were the monarchs in Mysore city. Political power had enabled them to occupy the centre-stage in the festivities. All these years it was the privilege of the Congress and also Janata Dal ministers to steal the limelight. For nine days in a year, the politicians take the place of the Maharaja who has been dethroned, stripped of his privileges and Privy Purse.

This time the television cameras were focused on Shoba Karandlaje, the Minister for Rural Development who conducts herself with dignity and speaks rightly as she is the minister in charge of Mysore District. It is well known that some local BJP leaders are unhappy that none of them could become a minister and thus denied the privilege of overseeing the arrangements.

There is more meaning to the Mysore Dasara than what it is understood to be. The nine day pageant held with traditional fervour continues to draw crowds, make the politicians and officials bask in reflected glory and also bring money to the former imperial city's hotel and tourism industry.

Last year on account of President's rule, Dasara witnessed "Governor's Durbar". It was the Governor Rameshwar Thakur who had inaugurated the procession which is the finale to the festivities. This time it was Chief Minister B.S.Yeddyurappa who gave the green signal for the march past. Those who have been chief ministers have come to view the inauguration of the Dasara procession and the Independence Day address on the Manekshaw Parade Ground in Bangalore as fulfillment of their political careers. There have been at least one or two chief ministers who had nursed monarchical ambitions and wanted to mount the golden howdah and ride in state on the majestic elephant in the Dasara procession. But they feared adverse public opinion and dared not mount the howdah.

There was an overdose of Dasara coverage on the Kannada television channels with their correspondents competing with each other to describe the "World Renowned Mysore Dasara" and they stopped short of calling Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wodeyar (the son of late Maharaja Jayachamaraja Wodeyar) as His Highness the Maharaja of Mysore.

The holding of the Dasara festivities in Mysore even after the derecognition of princes 39 years ago can be viewed differently. There is no doubt the attempt of the politicians to take the place of the former Maharaja. Dasara in Mysore sends the message of continuity of a centuries old tradition. The first Dasara procession dates back to 1610 when the Wodeyars had just taken over as the rulers of Mysore. It is believed that the procession in Mysore is being held without a break since 1799, the year of the death of Tipu Sultan in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore war. It was being gone through even during the 50 years of direct British rule over Mysore from 1831 till what is called the "Rendition of Mysore " by the liberal viceroy Lord Rippon in 1881. It was Lord William Bentinck who had displaced Maharaja Mummadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar on false charges of misrule in 1831. He had also pensioned off the last ruler of Coorg (now Kodagu, a district in Karnataka) Veerarajendra II and sent him into exile in Banaras. Interestingly the Dasara is held with pomp in Madikeri also, the headquarters of Kodagu. The Dasara is held on a modest scale in Bangalore keeping alive a tradition set up by the erstwhile Mysore State Infantry and Lancers which had taken part in the two World wars.

The last Maharaja, Jayachamaraja Wodeyar stopped riding on elephant back in the Dasara procession of Mysore from 1969, when the Indira Gandhi government abolished privy purses and derecognized princes. He was getting the second highest Privy Purse among the princes at Rs.26 lakhs a year, which was next only to the Rs.40 lakh purse which was being given to the Nizam of Hyderabad.

For two years after 1969, some of the leading citizens organized the festivities as "people's Dasara". But from 1971, the Karnataka Government has been organizing the show as a "State Festival".

Today it is more of an attempt to boost tourism. This year the BJP Government had organized Dasara festivities in all the taluks in the State. Dasara is now being celebrated in places like Dharwad and Mangalore.

What is noteworthy about Dasara in Mysore is that it continues to revolve round the former royal family. "The Maharaja is Dead, but Long Live the Maharaja" theme is dominant in the festivities. Srikantadatta Wodeyar now observes the festivities in private (Khas Dasara) but gets the publicity that befits a ruler. The magnificent Mysore Palace provides the backdrop. Most of the trappings of the Dasara are there, the caparisoned elephants, policemen on shining steeds, the heralds, the folk dancers and the uniformed servants. Everything is there except the Maharaja riding in procession. The idol of Goddess Chamundeshwari, the presiding deity of Mysore City has replaced the Maharaja.

But traditionalists and knowledgeable citizens of Mysore maintain that the present day event is a spurious version of the Dasara of whilom days, that of pre-Independence days with unscrupulous officials and politicians lining their pockets at State expense.

Gone are the prejudices against the former rulers in the last 40 years. Though Indira Gandhi abolished privy purses and the privileges of Maharajas, her party men in Karnataka and especially in the Old Mysore region bore no ill will towards the former Maharaja. For some years in the 1950s, the then Socialist Party led by S.Gopala Gowda used to organize protests against Jayachamaraja Wodeyar riding on the State elephant during the Dasara procession.

Though the State Government has acquired the Mysore Palace as also the Bangalore Palace with its vast 455 acre ground, it has been challenged in the Supreme Court by Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wodeyar, who however has been allowed to reside in the Mysore Palace under the acquisition Act. The take over, though on paper was done by the Janata Dal government of J.H.Patel and not by a Congress ministry. The move to acquire the Mysore Palace is attributed to the Congress leader Siddaramaiah. Wodeyar himself joined the Congress, the Party which abolished the privy purses and derecognized the princes like Madhavarao Scindia who had successfully challenged the abolition in the Supreme Court. In fact the particular Supreme Court judgement goes by the name "Madhav Rao Sindhia Vs. Union of India (1971). It was followed by the 26th Amendment to the Constitution. A three time Congress MP, Wodeyar has also been in and out of the BJP. Last year he was elected as President of the Karnataka State Cricket Association, though his family had not patronized the game in the past, unlike maharajas of Holkar, Patiala or Baroda.

The Maharajas had carefully prepared Mysore city for the Dasara festivities. The main road in the City, Sayyaji Rao Road was laid keeping in mind the procession. It has been named after the enlightened Maharaja Sayyaji Rao III of Baroda who had visited Mysore city in 1906. The Sayyaji Rao Road leads to the Bannimantap where the torchlight procession is held. In pre-Independence days, the participation of the Mysore State military, Lancers and Infantry added colour and dignity to the procession. It was left to Dewan Sir Mirza Ismail to beautify Mysore city during his long years of administration (1926-41). Not all the Dasara processions have been peaceful. In 1931, the citizens of Mysore objected to the dewan (Sir Mirza) riding on the howdah behind Maharaja Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar in the procession. It led to stone and chappal throwing and the royal elephant ran out of control for some time. The police opened fire killing three persons. There were riots during the Dasara procession again in 1953 leading to police firing. The Government acted to transfer the then Inspector-General of Police N.V.Babu Reddy. This time the Dasara festivities were held against the backdrop of reports of threats from terrorists. No doubt the major threat to the procession over the decades has been the proverbial rain. This time it was bright sunshine and the procession passed off without a hitch.

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