No Dasara for Royal Mysore palace, says Maharani Pramoda Devi

Mysore: Raising questions over whether the Mysore Dasara will be held at the Palace, Maharani Pramoda Devi, the widow of the late maharaja, Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar has reportedly informed Mysore Deputy Commissioner, C. Shikha, that the palace cannot host any state-sponsored cultural programmes this year.

She also refused to accept the official invitation to the celebrations unless there is an announcement that events at the Mysore palace have been cancelled.  The maharani is apparently unwilling to hold a grand celebration at the palace as it is not even a year since her husband passed away in December 2013.

While the district administration had shifted the traditional welcome for the Dasara elephants from the Jayamarthanda gate of the palace to the Aranya Bhavan in deference to her sentiments, the government seems in no mood to oblige her on the cultural programmes, which are held in the backdrop of a fully illuminated Mysore Palace every evening during the 10-day celebrations.

The events are iconic and if cancelled, could rob the festivities of their sheen. Many foreign tourists line-up at the palace to watch the artistes perform.   While Ms Shikha has rushed to Bengaluru to inform Chief Minister Siddaramaiah about the latest development, palace sources says Ms. Pramoda Devi is in Bengaluru and will not be in town when Mr. Siddaramaiah arrives in Mysore on Saturday. 

The maharani, who had not too long ago promised to co-operate with the government over the holding of the Mysore Dasara, appears to be throwing a spanner in the works now. The ongoing dispute over the Mysore palace with the state government doesn't seem to be helping matters either.