Sculpture of Sri Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar (R).
Credit: Special Arrangement
Since gaining independence in 1947, India’s monarchies have faded, with many kings and queens losing their privy purses in the early 1970s. Yet, the allure of royalty persists. Our own Mysore princely state boasts a remarkable legacy, particularly under Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar, who transformed Mysore into the country’s most developed modern state.
The annual Dasara festival, culminating in the Jambu Savari procession on the tenth day of the festival, was an unforgettable experience. I was fortunate enough to witness this spectacle in 1969 and 1970, watching in awe as the late Jayachamaraja Wodeyar and his son were carried on the Ambari by two majestic elephants, parading through Mysore’s streets.
How can we forget our former British rulers, where queens played major rule? As history goes, among Queen Elizabeth, Queen Victoria, and Queen Elizabeth II, the latter holds the record for the longest reign on the British throne. The Kings in this Queenorama are just Her Majesty’s Voice (HMV).
In February 1961, I, aged about 9 years, had the occasion to see Queen Elizabeth II live on a motorcade. It was about 9 am in the morning, and like me, thousands of spectators were on either side of the road that led from Lalbagh West Gate towards Basavanagudi’s Bull-Temple Road in Bangalore (now Bengaluru).
In order to avoid any hassles on their cavalcade, the road was completely cleared with movement of vehicles of people, with high police security. (Back then, police uniforms were shorts, not their pants.) Suddenly, as if to catch a glimpse of the queen, a stray dog barged into the road.
To my young mind, this dog appeared to have been regaled with tales of the mighty queens who once ruled our land like I was by my grandparents and was curious to look at the queen. It appeared eager to catch a glimpse of the monarch, much like the thousands of people, including myself. The police managed to chase the canine out of the way, but only after some effort.
After a few minutes, the cavalcade atop an open motor car came the Queen Elizabeth II, waving her hands and smiling at the crowd lining both sides of the road with her HMV in tow.
Recently, two of my school friends too shared their experience of seeing the Queen live in front of the MTR Tiffin Room near Lalbagh Main Gate with other members of their family. I realise now that people who have witnessed royal parades of Mysore and the British Empire live in our state must be few and far between.