Led by the royal Wadiyar family, Mysuru’s Dasara celebrations remain unique. Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, the titular head of the erstwhile Mysore royal family, in an exclusive interview, told CNN-News18, that while they get “more dynamic as they get more modern, the tradition has stayed true to its core”.
Moreover, the royal scion has another goal – to make Mysore the country’s cybersecurity hub. “Mysore, also being ideally suited and located next to Bengaluru, we are aiming to be built as the country’s cybersecurity hub. Through our Cyberverse Foundation, we aim to make it the hub for India, and we want Mysore to be engaging with anything cyber. It will be a matter of pride if Mysore also is part of this digital universe,” he says.
Wadiyar speaks to CNN-News18 about the royal traditions, his interest in politics and views on Sanatana Dharma and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s achievements.
Edited excerpts:
Did you face difficulty adapting to the life that you lead today as royalty compared to your early childhood?
Certainly, you need to adapt to any changes that come. But all that has helped me grow into a much more confident person, a much more knowledgeable person with more understanding. I have welcomed all those changes in the right way so far. Change is more consistent as we grow up, and it is a welcome challenge to see these new changes. Through these changes, we are able to maintain the tradition as it should be, under the guidance of my mother now. I also hope in the coming years, it is maintained in the same way, so that future generations will follow it as they take over the mantle.
How was your early childhood?
At that time, we were not deeply involved in the ritual side of things, and as a youngster, we were not fully cognisant of the immense history, heritage and aspirations of so many generations. I am obviously aware of those things, and one needs to push further to ensure it is held in the way it should be.
You were initiated into the royal tradition at the age of 23, and you said that it is a learning process. Your son will surely be well-versed with the traditions as he would start at a young age?
I had no idea that I was going to be here until I was 23 years old. There are positives and negatives. At that age, you are much more mature to learn it and have not necessarily grown in it, so you don’t have the baggage that comes with it. The negative side is also that you are thrown into the deep end. In my son’s case, with the blessings of Goddess Chamundeshwari and all the powers that be, he will be able to have a grounding in the various principles to take forward this tradition and will do so when the time comes. He will hopefully endeavour to keep the tradition alive. My mother taught me, and she has already begun teaching my son. That way, it will help embed the values well.
Have there been any changes in the way the Mysuru Dasara is being celebrated since you took over?
No, since the time my parents — Sri Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar and my mother Ms. Pramoda Devi Wadiyar — took it up in the mid-1970s, it has been celebrated uninterrupted. We have seen to it despite the changing times. The more modern we get, the more dynamic we get. The tradition has stayed true to its core. Even to this day, under my mother’s guidance, we continue the tradition.
You are popular among people and on social media. You have also earned the moniker of ‘The New age King.’ How difficult is it to balance culture, centuries-old tradition, and then bring the connect via social media?
True, you have technologies that are always coming out. We must also see how to utilise them through our perspective, while keeping our tradition and expectations as paramount. It should be given its due importance. Social media is a great tool to reach out to people and stay connected at all times. It also provides us a platform to give a personal perspective, which is endearing and helps in building relationships with people forward.
Do you like social media? Do you enjoy Instagramming or Facebook?
I do. All social media is always welcome. I have enjoyed them, especially in the interests that are personal or endearing to me.
Are you looking at introducing modern ideas and technology, as it was seen with the Wadiyar dynasty, where they introduced modern machinery and modern ways of administration?
Certainly, I am not sure if it helps in keeping tradition, but it tied to the aspect of Mysore being central in the wars of yesteryears. Mysore Lancers played an important role in the First World War, where they helped in liberating the city of Haifa and along the Suez Canal. In that narrative, a point that we are fighting a different war, that is the cyber war. Mysore, also being ideally suited and located next to Bengaluru, we are aiming to be built as the country’s cybersecurity hub. Through our Cyberverse Foundation, we aim to make it the hub for India, and we want Mysore to be engaging with anything cyber. This, apart from the already existing growth of Mysore, can also be a more consistent, year-round industry that helps it grow more. Bengaluru, being the big IT hub that it is, and in most opinions, being oversaturated, this aspect of IT can be pulled out to tier 2 cities like Mysore and can be used to grow the economy here. It can also alleviate the issues and stress that Bangalore has. We should aim to make Mysore the Cybercity hub, and will aid in the endeavour of building digital India. This key aspect can be achieved. It will be a matter of pride if Mysore also is part of this digital universe.
Are you looking at entering politics? Your adopted father Srikanta Datta Narasimha Raja Wodeyar also dabbled in it… any plans?
He was successful as a politician and did a lot of work for Mysore city and his constituency. I don’t think my road forward is a political role. My aspirations are very different from what a politician has to go through. That being said, socially and through various institutions of the palace, we continue to be socially active and are always ready to take part in anything the government wishes us to be a part of to move forward. It will help in being profitable towards building a good society.
What is that one thing that makes your day?
Going for a safari in any of the jungles around Mysore would make my day. Since that is something that I cannot do daily, so other than that, a good cup of filter coffee makes my day. It pushes away some percentage of problems.
What are your views on Mahisha Dasara?
I don’t really have any viewpoint on it. As per our Constitution, you are welcome to worship anything and everything. If a certain community sees that there is some history there, they can follow it. But I would ask them to be mindful of being respectful of the fact that all of us who believe in Chamundeshwari and her history and itihaasa is true and follow the Sanatana tradition. They must not use it to anger communities or create further fault lines in the already existing ones or deepen them further. If they are mindful of that and are truly doing it because of their belief, however much we don’t agree with their viewpoint, we cannot stop them from celebrating what they want. I hope that they are being true to what they are saying.
Your comments on Santana Dharma and what do you think of the comments by politicians like Udayanidhi Stalin?
In my opinion, it is the righteous way, the enlightened way, as we are taught. It is the means by which you perceive philosophies that have come up within our schools of thought and dharma itself. For those of us who follow it and understand what it is, it is obviously something we cannot agree that it has to be eradicated. It means that essentially, we all have to be gone. Our centuries-old traits could be annihilated. It depends on what perspective the said persons are taking. The roots of this country are built on Sanatan Dharma and is something that is encouraged and will continue to be so.
I can see India’s rising presence, and it has catapulted India tremendously in the last 10 years. India’s recognition in terms of its soft power, cultural heritage, and many aspects of governance has been given its due. With the mantle and mandate that the PM has been given, in many ways, he has fulfilled the promises he made. In doing that, the polls also speak of his popularity worldwide and amongst the elders of the world. Indians feel that he has contributed tremendously.
How do you look at the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and how do you see its performance?
I see this government in the past 10 years has brought about a lot of cultural awakenings. They have seen to it that India has made an imprint on the international map. G20 and the presidency has aided in this endeavour. Alongside, like any other government, there have been issues, and their ability to have solved these, we will see if they are able to come back to power. I am sure that people will give the right government the right support.
Your view on whether Modi has been an impactful Prime Minister?
I am not going to pretend it has not been so. I can see India’s rising presence, and it has catapulted India tremendously in the last 10 years. India’s recognition in terms of its soft power, cultural heritage, and many aspects of governance has been given its due. Since independence, in Mysore’s case as well, I would humbly say it has been the collective will of the leaders that all of these endeavors have come. With the mantle and mandate that the PM has been given, in many ways, he has fulfilled the promises he made. In doing that, the polls also speak of his popularity worldwide and amongst the elders of the world. Indians feel that he has contributed tremendously.
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