By R.G. Singh, Secretary, Ramsons Kala Pratishtana

The dowager Maharani H.H. Vani Vilasa Sannidhana Kempananjammanni Devi (4 July 1866 – 7 July 1934) was perhaps among the last important bride who came from Kalale village near Nanjangud. Several of the earlier Wadiyar rulers chose their brides from this particular village which normally had a sizeable population of able bodied youngsters who found employment in the Palace as personal bodyguards of the ruler.

H.H. was the daughter of Kalale Narase Urs  who belonged to a hereditary family of chieftains (paleygars) who administered Kalale. The massive Lakshmikantaswamy Temple in the village bears testimony to the fact that once upon a time the place had an important link to the erstwhile Mysore kingdom.

In this rare photograph, H.H. Vani Vilasa Sannidhana is seated on a chair elegantly draped in a Mysore style saree while her eldest son, H.H. Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar Bahadur IV and the second son H.H. Yuvaraja Kanteerava Narasimharaja Wadiyar sit cross-legged on the ground onto her right and left respectively.

This is a studio-style photograph with a faux background but stripped off of all royal formality. More than a Maharaja, Yuvaraja and a Rajamata, we see a doting mother seated on a chair while her two sons sit close to her feet. This is an exceptional photograph considering that all three are royals who exercise restraint in their emotions.

[Size: 25×20 cms; Collection: Ramsons Kala Pratishtana]