The Wodeyars, the rulers of Mysuru kingdom, have a long history, from the time the kingdom was founded in 1399. From great wealth to magnificent palaces, exquisite artwork, musical instruments, and even a 400-year-old curse, the Mysore Wodeyar royal family has it all. The illustrious family is also the only royal family in India who has reigned for over five centuries. 

The rulers of the Wodeyar dynasty may have lost their privy purses and titles, but they still live on in the hearts of the Kannadigas. Their contribution to the development of social and cultural spheres, as well as science and technology is immeasurable. Their dedication towards the development of their kingdom can be seen in their pro-people policies and prompt action in times of necessity.

Origin Of The Mysore Wodeyar Dynasty

Wodeyar, alternatively spelt Wadiyar or Odeyar, as the members of the Mysore royal family were addressed by their subjects, translates to ‘lord’ or ‘king’ in Kannada. According to legend, the royal family is descended from Krishna of Dwaraka. Legend says the Wodeyars made Mysore their abode upon seeing the natural beauty of the place. But according to historians, the Wodeyars adopted Puranic legend to claim themselves as direct descendants of the legendary Lunar Dynasty. 

Raja Vijaya Raj Wodeyar, who established the dynasty in 1399 and later came to be known as Adi Yaduraya Wodeyar, was a local feudal lord. The Mysore Wodeyar family and its descendants continued to rule the kingdom under the Vijayanagar empire until the fall of the Vijayanagar empire in 1565. The Mysore kingdom then became an independent kingdom until 1799, when it came under the reign of the British Empire during the reign of Krishnaraja Wadiyar III. 

Expansion Of Mysore Kingdom

The Kingdom of Mysore was initially a small empire that was a vassal of the Vijayanagara empire. As the Vijayanagar empire disintegrated, the ninth king Raja Wodeyar I, expanded the borders of the kingdom and changed the capital city from Mysore to Srirangapatna. Subsequent kings of the Wodeyar dynasty expanded the frontiers of the kingdom till Trichy in Tamil Nadu. The dynasty reached its peak under the reign of the fourteenth king, Chikka Devaraja. Under his capable rule, the administration of the empire was reformed and a new, coherent system of taxation was also introduced.

Golden Era Of The Mysore Kingdom

During the reign of the 24th king of the Wodeyar family, the kingdom of Mysore witnessed a golden era. Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV was a philosopher-king, who heralded an important phase in the making of modern Mysore. He set up an educational infrastructure in the kingdom and worked towards alleviating poverty, improving rural reconstruction, public health, industry and economic regeneration. The king, an accomplished musician himself, was also a patron of the fine arts. During his reign, the kingdom of Mysore made several strides in development. 

Mysore was the first Indian state (In 1905, Mysore was a princely state and known as the Kingdom of Mysore. The country hadn’t yet been divided into states then) to generate hydroelectric power in Asia in 1902, and street lights were installed in Bangalore, making it the first Asian city to have street lights in 1905. Several educational institutions also came to be during his reign, including the University of Mysore and the acclaimed Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore. The infamous Krishna Raja Sagara (KRS) dam was also built during his reign. Victoria Hospital, Cheluvamba Hospital and Minto Eye Hospital were all projects started during Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar’s rule and still live on today. 

Such was the progress of the kingdom during his reign that Mahatma Gandhi hailed him as a ‘Rajrishi’ (saintly king) and called his kingdom ‘Ramrajya’ (an ideal kingdom comparable to the one ruled by Rama). Lord John Sankey acknowledged his noble and efficient reign and called Mysore “the best-administered state in the world” at the Round Table Conference in London in 1930. During his reign, princes from other royal houses from across India were sent to Mysore to learn administration.

Curse Of The Mysore Royal Family

Of all the stories of their history and accomplishments, the most intriguing is the one  of the curse laid upon the Wodeyar dynasty. Raja Wadiyar, the ninth king of the Wodeyar dynasty conquered the island fortress of Srirangapatna and took over the fort from Tirumala, the Viceroy of Vijayanagar at the time. Tirumala is said to have retired to Talakadu with his two wives. One of his wives, Alamelamma was a staunch devotee of the goddess Sri Ranganayaki. The goddess is believed to be the consort of Sri Ranganatha, the presiding deity of the Adi-Ranga temple in the fortress of Srirangapatna.

Tirumala, who was suffering from a terminal disease, died. The widow Alamelamma, who possessed a great deal of jewellery, including a fine nose ring studded with a large pearl, donated the jewellery to the temple of Sri Ranganayaki. The statue of the goddess was adorned with the pearl-studded nose ring and other precious jewellery every Tuesday and Friday. For the rest of the week, the jewellery was given to Alamelamma for safekeeping. 

The temple authorities, who wanted custody of the jewels, approached the king to ask for them. Raja Wadiyar assumed that Alemelamma, a widow without issue would have no use for the jewellery, and sent emissaries to her home in Malangi to request her to give the jewels. But Alamelamma sent the emissaries back with only the pearl-studded nose ring. The enraged king sent his army to ask her again and with the order to seize the jewels by force if she refuses. To escape the wrath of the king and his army, Almelamma fled with her jewellery and uttered the legendary curse that changed the fate of the Mysore royal family.

“ತಲಕಾಡು ಮರಳಾಗಲಿ, ಮಾಲಂಗಿ ಮಡುವಾಗಲಿ, ಮೈಸೂರು ದೊರೆಗಳಿಗೆ ಮಕ್ಕಳಿಲ್ಲದೆ ಹೋಗಲಿ – (Talakadu maralagali, Malangi maaduvagali, Mysuru Doregalige makkalillade hogali)”

“May Talakadu turn into a barren expanse of sand, may Malangi turn into a whirlpool, may the Mysuru Kings never have children.” 

Having uttered the legendary curse on the Wodeyar dynasty, Alamelamma jumped into the whirlpool in the river Kaveri at Talakadu with the rest of her jewels and killed herself. 

Upon hearing about Alamelamma’s extreme step and her curse, the king became truly repentant. He had a statue made of Alamelamma in gold and installed it in the palace, and a remnant of her hair was preserved in a box. To this day, members of the Mysore royal family worship the statue as a diety. Alamelamma’s huge pearl nose-stud can be seen adorning the goddess Ranganayaki and Alamelamma to this day.

Whether the curse is actually true is, of course, a matter of conjecture. But Talakadu still lies buried in a vast expanse of sand, whereas the nearby towns or villages remain unaffected. The Kaveri river is at its deepest and most treacherous in the whirlpool, in Malangi. Since Raja Wadiyar, none of the rulers of the Mysore royal family with the exception of Chikka Devaraja Wodeyar could beget natural heirs. And for the past 400 years, the natural heirs born to the king could not beget children, and have had to adopt heirs. This includes Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wodeyar, the current king of Mysore and the head of the Mysore Wodeyar dynasty. He was adopted by Pramoda Devi, the widow of the previous king, Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wodeyar. 

Read More: The curse of Talakadu, the mysterious place covered in sand

Wodeyar Family Tree

Over the five centuries that the Wodeyar dynasty reigned, the kingdom of Mysore was ruled by 25 kings. Here’s the list: 

• Adi Yaduraya (1399–1423)
• Hiriya Bettada Chamaraja Wadiyar I (1423–1459)
• Thimma Raja Wadiyar I (1459–1478)
• Hiriya Chamarajarasa Wadiyar II (1478–1513)
• Hiriya bettada Chamaraja Wadiyar III (1513–1553)
• Thimma Raja Wadiyar II (1553–1572)
• Boala Chamaraja Wadiyar IV (1572–1576)
• Bettada Chamaraja Wadiyar V (1576–1578)
• Raja Wadiyar I (1578–1617)
• Chamarajarasa Wadiyar VI (1617–1637)
• Raja Wadiyar II (1637–1638)
• Ranadheera Kanteerava Narasaraja Wadiyar I (1638–1659)
• Dodda Devaraja Wadiyar (1659–1673)
• Chikka Devaraja Wadiyar (1613–1704)
• Kanteerava Narasaraja Wadiyar II (1704–1714)
• Dodda Krishnaraja Wadiyar I (1714–1732)
• Chamaraja Wadiyar VII (1732–1734)
• (Immadi) Krishnaraja Wadiyar II (1734–1766)
• Nanja Raja Wadiyar (1766–1770)
• Bettada Chamaraja Wadiyar VIII (1770–1776)
• Khasa Chamaraja Wadiyar IX (1766–1796)
• (Mummudi) Krishnaraja Wadiyar III (1799–1868)
• Chamaraja Wadiyar X (1868–1894)
• Vani Vilas Sannidhana, queen of Chamaraja Wadiyar X, was Regent from 1894–1902.
• (Nalwadi) Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV (1902–1940)
• Sri Jaya Chamaraja Wadiyar XI (1940 – 1947)
• Srikanta Datta Narsimharaja Wadiyar (1953 – 2013)
• Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar (2015 – )

Remembering The Wodeyars: The Entrepreneurial Kings Who Put The People First

The contribution of the Mysore Wodeyar rulers in the fields of education, social justice, science and technology, medicine, culture and fine arts has been immense. Throughout history, the Wodeyar dynasty’s kings continued to patronise the rich culture of the land just like the rulers of the Vijayanagar empire. The Mahanavami festival celebrations, now known as the infamous Mysore Dasara celebrations, were started by Raja Wodeyar I in 1610. The celebrations included a large procession of elephants carrying the Maharaja of Mysore in a howdah. The procession included dance performers, tribal artists, daring acts, and music, and the tradition continues to this day. The Wodeyar kings’ deeds and vision pioneered a new age, which showcased not only their kingdom but India as well to the world. 

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