Historic place houses the burial site of Chamarajendra Wadiyar X
Mysore/Mysuru: Mysuru-based Kayaka Prathishtana Trust has urged the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) to permit the installation of a steel display board at Mysore Gardens or Mysore Udyan in Tollygunge — also known as Mahisur Garden — marking the burial site of Chamarajendra Wadiyar X, one of the most progressive rulers of the Mysore Kingdom.
In a letter addressed to KMC Commissioner Sumit Gupta, Trust representative R. Raghu Kautilya stressed the need to highlight the historical and cultural significance of the site. Chamarajendra Wadiyar X, who succumbed to diphtheria in Calcutta on Dec. 28, 1894, was laid to rest at Mysore Gardens near the Keoratala burning ghat.
The Trust pointed out that despite its importance, the location lacks any signage indicating the presence of the ruler’s tomb. “A large number of visitors from Karnataka come to Kolkata, but they remain unaware of the burial site and the ruler’s remarkable contributions,” the letter noted.
Chamarajendra Wadiyar X is widely remembered for initiating the Mysore Representative Assembly in 1881 — the first modern democratic legislative body in princely India.
He also sponsored Swami Vivekananda’s historic journey to Chicago in 1893, encouraged industrial growth through schools and exhibitions, and introduced agricultural banks and life insurance schemes for government employees.
To address the lack of information at the site, the Trust has proposed funding the installation of a multilingual display board carrying details in Bengali, English, Hindi and Kannada. Alternatively, it has requested the Municipal Corporation to execute the project.
Such an initiative, the Trust said, would help preserve history, educate tourists and give a boost to heritage tourism in the area.
Inside Mahisur Garden, the final resting place of Chamarajendra Wadiyar X
Chamarajendra Wadiyar X (Feb. 22, 1863 – Dec. 28, 1894) served as the twenty‑third ruler of Mysore from 1868 until he died in 1894. His life was cut short at the age of 31 after contracting diphtheria. He died in Kolkata on Dec. 28, 1894 and his cremation was carried out at Kalighat.
Today, his resting place lies within Mysore Gardens a serene landscaped space bordered by crematoriums on both sides. The memorial stands at the centre of the garden and visitors first encounter a statue of the Buddha at its entrance.
Elsewhere in the garden are a statue of Swami Vivekananda, an idol of Goddess Kali and sculptures depicting Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Sarada Devi. The gateway to the garden has been designed to echo the architectural style of the Mysore Palace.
A pillar at the entrance features a Mysore‑style Gajalakshmi motif, with Venugopalaswamy figures carved on either side, while an elephant emblem is placed to the left of the main gateway.
Beyond the entrance, the path opens into an avenue of dense greenery. Further inside stands a temple, whose courtyard is lined with Vijayanagara‑inspired sculptures representing the Dashavataras. The temple’s main doorway bears the Gandaberunda, the royal emblem of the Mysore Kingdom. Inside is a prayer hall displaying a photograph of Chamarajendra Wadiyar and at the heart of the sanctum lies his shrine.
After the death of the last Mysore Maharaja Jayachamaraja Wadiyar on 23.9.1974, the Karnataka Government annexed all the Palace temples, including this Memorial.
But the State has conveniently forgotten the existence of the above Memorial and Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) also used a vast vacant land to build electric crematoria for public use.
This post was published on December 8, 2025 6:43 pm