Jumboo Savari put off by a day to October 23

Mysuru: A faceoff between the Royal family of Mysuru and the state government over the timing of the famed Jumbo Savari procession has been avoided. On Sunday, revenue minister Srinivasprasad who mediated between the government and the Wadiyars, announced that the Jumbo Savari will be held on  October 23 and not October 22 as announced earlier. The royal family was not happy with the Jumbo Savari being held on October 22 as it would clash with the traditional Ayudha puja and Vijayadashami ceremonies of the royal family, scheduled to begin at 4.30 am on October 22 at  Mysuru Palace. The discussion took place when the minister met the Maharani  to extend a formal invite for the Dasara fest. “We consulted Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over phone before taking the final decision. Considering security issues we had to agree to postpone the programme,” Mr Srinivasprasad said.     

Royals win, Savari postponed
The state government has given in to the appeal made by the Royal family of Mysuru and has postponed the Jumbo Savari procession scheduled to be held on October 22 to  October 23. With this the controversy over holding the Dasara Jumbo Savari procession has ended on a happy note.  

Though both Ayuda pooja and the Vijayadashami procession were scheduled for the same day, Maharani Pramoda Devi Wadiyar was not happy with the state government’s decision to hold Dasara procession on October 22 saying that it would come in way of traditional ceremonies of Ayuda pooja and Vijayadashami of the royal family of Mysuru which would begin from 4.30am and conclude only by 7pm on the evening of  October 22 at Mysuru Palace and its premises.

The Maharani expressed her despair over the issue and was firm on the government postponing Dasara Jumbo Savari procession when district in-charge minister and Dasara Executive Committee chairperson, Mr V Srinivasprasad met her to extend a formal invite of the Dasara fest to the royal family of Mysuru on Sunday. Mr Srinivasprasad evolved a face-saving formula after three hours of discussion with the Maharani and Maharaja Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar.

“We consulted Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over phone before taking the final decision. We have evolved the decision after taking suggestions from Sri Abhinava Vaageesha Brahmatantra Swatantra Parakaal Math seer and Chief Priest of Chamuneswari temple, Sri Shashishekar Dixit. Considering security issues we had to agree to postpone the programme,” Mr Srinivasprasad said.

Maharani Pramoda Devi Wadiyar told media persons, “There is no issue. All the problems have been resolved. We had already sent the list of our programmes to the state government. We are happy that they understood our problems and changed the programme. There have been four to five precedents in the past including one in 1976 and another in 2005 when both Ayuda pooja and Vijayadashami fell on the same day. The then governments ensured  Ayuda pooja and Vijayadashami ceremonies of the royal family on that day, and held the Dasara procession the next day. There is no necessity for any misinterpretation,” she said.

“Other Utsavs can be held the next day if the auspicious time falls after 3 am. But Dasara Jumbo Savari procession has historic significance, it is the vijaya yathre to celebrate the victory of righteousness over evil, hence it has to be held on the same day, as Vijaya yathre held by the royal family. Else there will not be any meaning in such a procession which is held as part of a 405 year old tradition for the welfare of people. In a democracy if the government bends to the royal family’s decisions, will they accept all their demands too,” asks Prof. Shalva Pille Iyengar, head of the Department of Ancient History and Archaeology at KSOU.