- Gate installed; security personnel posted
- Villagers to meet Pramoda Devi Wadiyar
Mysore/Mysuru: Close on the heels of the members of the erstwhile Mysore royal family upset over not consulting them on the restoration works of Devikere and other development works atop the Chamundi Hill as the land on which Devikere is located belongs to them, a new gate has been installed overnight on the road leading to Devikere. It has been locked and security personnel have been posted there. A signboard restricting the entry of the public has been put up.
It may be recalled here that an advocate from Mysore Palace visited Devikere recently and took exception to the Lake development works without bringing it to the notice of the royal family members.
The Minor Irrigation Department is undertaking works to give a facelift to Devikere and as part of the project, earth-movers were being used to lift the tonnes of silt from the Lake that has been deposited for years. The works have been taken up at a cost of Rs. 7.5 crore.
In addition to the works at Devikere, a solid waste management plant is being built at a cost of Rs. 76 lakh and the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) has sanctioned Rs. 6 crore to provide drinking water. All the works have been stalled now following the royal family’s objection.
The royal family claims that the Lake and its surroundings are their properties and no work can be taken up without their consent. Yesterday, the gate on the road that leads from Chidambareshwar Temple to Devikere was locked to prevent unauthorised entry. The gate is located on the main road near the multi-level parking lot.
This move, however, has inconvenienced the villagers residing on top of the Hill. As the gate is locked, even the inhabitants of the Hill for decades have been restricted from entering their areas through this road. Unaware of the restriction, many villagers were shocked as this is the only road that can lead them to their houses.
As the gate has come up right in the middle of the road (see pic above), villagers of a particular section or area near the Devikere cannot take their vehicles inside. Neither they can move freely now as the entry is restricted. When the villagers spotted the gate initially, they broke it open. However, within hours, a restricted entry board was placed and security personnel posted there.
There are steps from the Sri Chamundeshwari Temple connecting Devikere and the houses of that area. Here there is no scope to take vehicles.
Concerned about the developments, the Chamundi Hill villagers living around Devikere who have been locked out are planning to meet Pramoda Devi Wadiyar to urge her to make way for the villagers and not to lock the gate as their movements will be curtailed.
Villagers to meet Pramoda Devi
Speaking to Star of Mysore, Chamundi Hill Gram Panchayat President Bharat Kalaiah said that the move to lock the gate is inconveniencing the villagers who are not aware of the land dispute.
“We have tremendous respect for the royal family and Pramoda Devi is like a mother to all of us. Residents of Chamundi Hill look up to the royal family and have high regard. They will never go against the sentiments of the royal family and they will maintain the same regard and respect towards the family members. We will urge Pramoda Devi Wadiyar to open the gates in the interest of the villagers,” he said.
“The residents of this part of the Hill are dependent on the road and there is a regular movement of school children and ambulances during emergencies. Therefore, locking the gate will lead to hardship. We will soon meet Pramoda Devi and explain our plight to her,” Bharat added.
Good move by royal family. In the name of development these people have encroached the hill top. should not listen to these so called villagers actually they are not. they are encroachers spoilers of beauty of holy hill.
Pramoda Devi, who was ignored by her husband Srikanta Dutta Wadiyar, when he was romping around Mysore, taking buxom women to his bedroom including the wife and sister in law of a hotelier in VV Market, whose hotel was known for its set dosas and masala dosas.
This is the woman, who is acting nasty and petty, and thinks that she is in 1920s as part of Wadiyars. Wadiyars are history.
If she cared for this lake, it would have been cleaned up ages ago.
Royalty has no place in independent India.
If necessary, amend the constitution, kick her and the pretend Wadiyar, Yaduveer and the whole crowd out of Mysore Palace and Amba Vilas.
Hey anonymous
You are really cannot grasp that the like linked to the Temple has remain unused , polluted and neglected . The work is to clean it up and use its water for the Temple, as it was done for decades , even 2 centuries.
This woman , Pramoda Devi was shunned by her husband , the late last Wadiyar, as he was after other women. She is now flexing her muscles. This lake will remain dirty and polluted for more years. This Pramoda Devi should be ashamed for leaving this lake in this state.
Dear Editor,
Please do not use phrases like Wadiyars , Mysore Royalty etc for the quixotic actions of an individual! One person does not represent the children or the grand children of the last Maharaja of Mysore etc.
No doubt there are many outstanding land disputes with the state , but they have to be fought at the appropriate forums and not by this ill advised show of high handedness and inconveniencing the public ! Maharaja would have been ashamed of this crass abuse of inherited rights ! Neither is this person sole inheritor of those rights?
Hope better sense prevails
@Raja
Interesting that you have shortened your name from RAJA CHANDRA to mere ‘Raja’!
Who is that quixotic individual? Pramoda Devi? You must be joking, as she thinks that she is still the Maharani of 1920s! The woman who was scorned her Wayward husband!
Look at how she adopted a relative, crowned him a Wadiyar, who climbs the throne in a room watched by a dozen people and conducts durbar for those handful, at the time of Dasara!
You should do better than asking questions, but clearly stating where you stand instead leaving your post in a limbo.
Modi needs to remove the last vestiges of this arrogant remnants of Wadiyar dynasty,-he will not do it but Siddaramaiah the ex-CM, should initiate a constitution amendment to acquire Mysore Palace with all its buildings and remove this bunch from there.
Time to dedicate Mysore Palace to the nation, as a national museum.
Hello Raja!
“Maharaja would have been ashamed of this crass abuse of inherited rights ”
Which Maharaja , you refer to ? Jayachamaraja Wadiyar? He was controlled by his butler, Mahadevaiaih, who was promoted to the position, as he introduced women to the Wadiyar, including a German woman, who it was said ruled his household!
Who else, otherwise? Do not tell us, Srikanta Dutta Wadiyar has any scruples. He was chasing buxom women since he was a teen ager!
The 2 Wadiyars above , were not really Maharajas, as Royalty was abolished after independence.
If this woman , Pramoda Devi claims this polluted lake is her property, then the MCC should prosecute her for keeping a polluted lake in a state of filthiness, breeding mosquitoes .
These Wadiyars were not Royals like Rajputs, but belonged to the Urs community, not known for cleverness and erudition.
Hello @Raja again!
That Mahadevaiaih became JC Wadiyar’s ADC, lived in a palacial mansion near Dodda Kere that belonged to JC Wadiyar. He had a fleet of Rolls Royce cars, as many as JSC Wadityar had, and kept concubines all over Mysore, one near our locality and visited them in turn! All of these,, because, he had a hold on JC Wadiyar, introducing him o women. Palace officials , were whispering about the fights in Wadiyar’s household because of these women, and when the German woman took over the household, JC Wadiyar moved to Bangalore Palace, and died there -cardiac arrest was the official reason. Interestingly SD Wadiyar followed his father’s foot steps in every way, and died in Bangalore Palace too!
So much about these ‘Maharajas’!
Only Gauri Satya, who calls himself senior journalist, finds any glory in them!! But, he is the business of scribbling to earn money!!