By Gouri Satya, Sr.Journalist
Dasara is no Dasara without the Maharaja’s Palace. With a rich legacy of four centuries, both as a royal residence and as a centre of attraction, it has always been playing a crucial role during the 10-day-long celebrations. What is significant is even after four centuries, its pivotal role has not changed. In fact, its importance has doubled as the Mysore Palace hosts two Dasaras now — one, for the royal family in tune with the historic tradition, and the other, for the State for its celebrations. The Wadiyars’ Palace in Srirangapatna has played no less a crucial role. It has played a pivotal role for the royal celebrations in the Wadiyars’ early days. While the Srirangapatna Palace has played a notable role for a period of two centuries from 1600s, the Mysore Palace came to focus only after 1800, when Krishnaraja Wadiyar III was installed on the throne and a residence was built for him in Mysuru. The Srirangapatna Palace was the determining place for the Navaratri celebrations from the days of Raja Wadiyar (1578-1617) when he launched the maiden Dasara after taking over the island town and making it his capital in 1610. One will know the central role the Srirangapatna Palace has played when one looks at the elaborate description of the Navaratri celebrations, decorations and ceremonies both inside and outside the royal residence available in Kannada literary works. Although exaggerated with poetic elaboration, yet these works of classic give us an impression of the Palace, its location and beauty of the Palace of the Wadiyars in their early period of rule.
