Karnataka minister Yathindra Siddaramaiah has rejected key objections raised by Pramoda Devi Wadiyar over the organisation of Mysuru Dasara, saying the palace board and palace premises belong to the government and that the state will not accept the claim that the festival is not a government event.
Siddaramaiah, the district in-charge minister for Mysuru, responded after Pramoda Devi Wadiyar issued a media statement expressing dissatisfaction over what she described as a lack of coordination during Dasara. Speaking to reporters on Monday, he said the government had remained in contact with the royal family and that any concerns should have been communicated directly to the government before being raised publicly.
“The palace board belongs to the government, and the palace land belongs to the government. The palace belongs to the government; we have only given them some space to stay,” Siddaramaiah said, according to Prajavani. He also said the government paid for the use of the ambari and was not receiving it free of cost.
The minister said the government was willing to send representatives to meet Pramoda Devi Wadiyar and that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah would take action if required. He said the problems mentioned by her would be addressed, but added that the government could not accept all of her claims.
Siddaramaiah also rejected the suggestion that Dasara organised by the state government should not be described as government Dasara. He said the state’s Dasara had its own history and that the government could not accept the argument that the event was not Dasara. He further said it would not be possible to hold the festival for seven days as suggested by Pramoda Devi Wadiyar.
The selection of the elephant carrying the golden howdah, or ambari, also became part of the dispute. Siddaramaiah said the decision had been delayed because different elephants, including Mahendra, Dhananjaya and Prashantha, had been considered. He said the final selection was made at the last moment and argued that the government was not legally required to inform the royal family about which elephant had been chosen.
The minister also addressed the cancellation of the Jatti Kalaga event mentioned in Pramoda Devi Wadiyar’s letter. He said the account attributed to her differed from the police version. According to the police account cited by him, the royal family arrived late and the cancellation was not caused by the government. Siddaramaiah said the administration was examining the matter to determine where the error had occurred.
The dispute places the management of Mysuru’s heritage-linked Dasara celebrations at the centre of a broader institutional question: how responsibilities are divided between the state government, the palace administration, the police and the royal family during a public festival that combines official ceremony, cultural tradition and large-scale city operations. Siddaramaiah said the government would continue examining the concerns raised and would discuss them with the royal family if necessary.
