Yaduveer adopted as heir to 700-year-old Wadiyar dynasty

MYSURU: Amid solemn rituals and traditional piety, 23-year-old Yaduveer Gopal Raj Urs was adopted as the heir of the 700-year-old Wadiyar dynasty and rechristened Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar here on Monday.
He’ll be the 27th maharaja of the erstwhile royal family of Mysuru. The rituals started early in the morning with Yenne Shashtra, Mangala Snana and Punya vachana, Ganapati Puja and Navagraha Puja before Dattaka homa was performed during adoptions to the royal family.The ceremony began at the palace’s octagonal etched glass topped kalyana mantap at 12.50pm, the time decided by the seer of Brahamatantra swatantra Parakala mutt, the royal family’s pontiff.

Over 100 archaks (priests) performed the pujas. An adoption is taking place in the family after 135 years and after the princely states were dismantled in 1967. (TOI photo: Syed Asif)
Over 100 archaks (priests) performed the pujas. An adoption is taking place in the family after 135 years and after the princely states were dismantled in 1967. The event sets all speculation to rest on who will be the next crown prince to succeed Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar who died in December 2013.

Trishika Kumari, (R) fiancee of Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar who is being adopted in a grand ceremony at Mysuru palace oon Monday. (TOI photo: Syed Asif)
The last adoption was in 1870s by Mummadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar, who adopted Chamaraja Wadiyar X from the Bettada Kote family to which Yaduveer and Pramoda Devi belong. Yaduveer is the great grandson of Subramanya Raj Urs, the younger brother of Chamaraja Wadiyar X.