A coordination dispute between the Karnataka government and Mysuru’s royal family has intensified after Minister Yathindra Siddaramaiah asked the Wadiyar family to take its concerns over crowd management during Mysuru Dasara directly to the government.
The minister’s comments came a day after Pramoda Devi Wadiyar, matriarch of the Mysuru royal family, expressed displeasure over arrangements at the Mysuru Palace and suggested that the Dasara procession be held on a day other than Vijayadashami. She also raised concerns about the government-run festival and the use of the golden howdah.
Siddaramaiah, the Mysuru district minister, said the government was prepared to address any issues but would need to discuss the matter with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah before responding to comments made publicly. “Since the issue is being discussed on a public platform, I can’t reply without discussing it with the CM,” he told reporters.
The minister said the government had remained in touch with the royal family during the celebrations and that grievances should have been conveyed directly to the authorities. He added that, apart from Vajramusti Kalaga, private Dasara events had passed off peacefully without complaints, according to the report.
Vajramusti Kalaga, a traditional wrestling-related event associated with the festival, was not held this year. Siddaramaiah said the police had provided different versions regarding the allegations connected with its cancellation and that he would have to consider all accounts before responding.
The disagreement has also raised questions about the coordination required between the government and the royal family for the main Dasara procession. Asked whether better coordination was necessary, Siddaramaiah said there must certainly be coordination between the two sides. He declined to immediately comment on suggestions regarding a change in the procession’s date.
The royal family has indicated that it may approach the high court and has questioned whether it should provide the golden howdah for the procession. Siddaramaiah said the family was free to take those steps and that the government would take necessary action in response.
The golden howdah is traditionally carried during the Mysuru Dasara procession. Responding to the royal family’s assertion that the howdah belonged to it, the minister said it was not taken without payment. According to him, the government obtains it by paying a fee and returns it after the procession.
Siddaramaiah also attributed delays in communication to uncertainty over the selection of the elephant that would carry the howdah. He said the final decision on the howdah elephant remained unclear until the last moment, which may have contributed to the delay in informing the royal family.
The minister defended the government’s role in organising the festival, saying Dasara had been officially conducted by the state government since 1971. After Independence, he said, it became a people’s festival and, in a democracy, the government would continue to conduct it. The immediate next step is expected to involve discussions between the state government and the royal family on the concerns raised over crowd management, event coordination and the procession.
