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

The genealogical chart of the Mysore Royal House right from the reign of H.H. Chamarajendra Wadiyar X until the present day indicates marriage alliances were being forged with Kshatriya kingdoms from the North. These exogamous marriages were increasing since the end of the 19th Century. In the book, ‘Speeches of Dewan Kantharaj Urs’ it is mentioned that H.H. Chamarajendra Wadiyar was desirous of finding Rajput grooms for his charming daughters.

After H.H. Chamarajendra Wadiyar’s death, the dowager Maharani Kempananjammanni Vani Vilasa Sannidhana, who became the Regent on behalf of her young son H.H. Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV (H.H. KRW), sought the British Resident’s assistance to secure matrimonial alliances for her children, in December 1895, from the North. The then Resident, W. Macworth Young, acknowledged the royal request and sent several letters to his counterparts, British Residents and Agents in Rajputana, Central India and Bombay Presidency seeking possible royal wedding proposals for the Mysore Princesses.

The much sought after first Rajput alliance materialised when H.H. KRW’s marriage took place with H.H. Pratapa Kumari who hailed from the principality of Vana in the present day Gujarat.

As mentioned in the earlier columns of Vintage Vignettes which featured Royal Weddings, the Wadiyars have always had grand celebrations evoking a sense of awe. Customarily the weddings have been celebrated at the main Palace. However, in 1897 during the wedding celebrations of Maharajakumari Jayalakshmammanni with M. Kantharaj Urs, disaster struck and a major part of the Palace frontage was gutted in an accidental fire.

Three years later in 1900 when the new Palace was still under construction, there arose a need for a grand venue to celebrate the wedding of 16-year-old Maharaja H.H. KRW. The spacious garden in front of the Jaganmohan Palace came handy and a large hall was constructed for this important milestone.

The photograph dated June 6, 1900, shows the British Resident in attendance at the royal wedding reception in the newly built hall. Standing from left to right are: M. Kantharaj Urs, A. Veerappaji Urs, V.N. Narasimha Iyengar, B. Krishne Urs, H. Nanjunda Raj Urs, M. Nanjaraj Urs, T. Basavaraj Urs, H. Lingaraj Urs, Col. J. Desraj Urs; Sitting from left to right are: Col. Robertson, Resident, Yuvaraja Kanteerava Narasimharaja Wadiyar, H.H. Maharani Lakshmi Vilasa Sannidhana, H.H. Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV, Lakshmi Kantharaj Urs and Dewan Sheshadri Iyer.

Following the various formalities, on June 14, the newly wedded couple were taken in a procession; it was as grand as the Dasara celebration with all its fanfare. A note about the wedding sourced from the India Office Records (Govt. of UK) says…“Grand procession commenced at 10 pm with the Maharaja seated in the gold ambari on a magnificent state elephant. After leaving the fort, it proceeded through the main streets of the town and reached the palace around 1 am next day for the wedding ceremony.” It is a pity that there is no photographic evidence of the crowds that thronged the street to rejoice in their Maharaja’s wedding.

[Photograph Collection: India Office Records, UK.

Invitation Collection: Ramsons Kala Pratishtana, Mysore.]