Pramoda Devi Wadiyar of Mysuru royal family addressing a press conference in Mysuru on Monday. | Photo Credit: M A Sriram Pramoda Devi Wadiyar has justified the collection of royalty by the erstwhile royal family for the use of the Ambari during the Jamboo Savari, citing its commercial exploitation by the Karnataka government through the sale of tickets for the procession and its use in publicity materials for the Dasara festival.Ms. Wadiyar was responding to the recent statement by Minister in-charge of Mysuru district Yathindra Siddaramaiah on the payment made by the State Government to the erstwhile royal family for the use of Ambari during the Jamboo Savari.“Royalty is paid because the government commercially exploits the Ambari by using it in publicity materials for the conduct of Nada Habba and by selling tickets for the Jamboo Savari procession from the forecourts of the Mysuru Palace,” she said.She maintained that payment of royalty by the government for the use of Ambari had been in practice for a long time.Mr.
Yathindra Siddaramaiah had recently stated that the State government had paid ₹80 lakh to the erstwhile royal family for the use of Ambari during the Jamboo Savari held on October 21 as part of Mysuru Dasara this year.‘Not an act of governmental generosity’Reacting to Mr. Yathindra’s remarks on members of the erstwhile royal family continuing to reside in a portion of the Mysuru Palace, Ms.
Wadiyar said their stay on the premises could not be characterised as an act of governmental generosity or a favour extended to the family, as the Mysore Palace (Acquisition and Transfer) Act, 1998, had been challenged in court.She recalled that the erstwhile royal family had agreed in 1976 to hand over certain portions of the Mysuru Palace to the government for maintenance and management, with the expenditure to be met through gate collections and lease rentals. However, when the revenue from gate collections was diverted to the government treasury, defeating the purpose of the arrangement, her late husband Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar sought the return of the portions of the palace handed over to the government.He subsequently approached the Karnataka High Court, which, in 1997, directed that portions of the Mysuru Palace under the State government’s maintenance and management be handed over to him within 30 days.
However, instead of complying with the court’s directions, the State Government proceeded to enact the Mysore Palace (Acquisition and Transfer) Act, 1998.“The Act is under challenge and the matter is pending till date,” she said, rejecting the contention that the family’s continued residence in the palace was a favour extended by the government.Selection of howdah elephantOn the State Government’s contention that it was not obliged to inform her about the elephant selected to carry the Ambari, Ms. Wadiyar said that, as its owner, she had the right to know which elephant was entrusted with the responsibility.“The safety of the Ambari, the elephant, and the people gathered for the occasion is of paramount importance to me,” she said.Clarifying that she had never claimed the existence of a protocol requiring Government officials to inform her about the elephant selected to carry the Ambari and the idol of Goddess Chamundeshwari, she said there had nevertheless been a longstanding understanding and trust between the erstwhile royal family and the Government.“There are no protocols for many things, but there has always been mutual understanding, trust, co-operation and confidence, which used to exist earlier,” she said.She also referred to an incident in Shivamogga in which an elephant ran amok during a Jamboo Savari, resulting in damage to the Ambari.
The incident, she said, served as a reminder of the risks involved and the need for due diligence in selecting an elephant capable of safely shouldering the responsibility. Published - November 04, 2026 05:08 pm IST