Mysuru: Pramoda Devi Wadiyar of the erstwhile Mysuru royal family has expressed deep disappointment over the conduct of Dussehra 2026, alleging poor coordination among government departments and repeated interference with the family's religious rituals, and proposed shifting the Sri Chamundeshwari Ammanavaru's Ambari procession to the day of the hill's Rathotsava.

In a statement issued on October 25, she said recurring problems involving police personnel, security arrangements and access to the Palace had made it difficult to conduct the family's customary ceremonies smoothly.

She expressed deep disappointment with the way Dussehra 2026 was conducted by officials of the various government departments, "who lacked basic coordination between them".

"It is regrettable to note that lack of effective coordination and communication among the Palace Police, Mysuru District Police, Karnataka State Reserve Police platoons, City Armed Reserve/District Armed Reserve platoons, and police personnel deputed from other districts continues to be evident each year," Pramoda Devi noted.

"The non-cooperation and lack of coordination between the government departments have caused great inconvenience to us and interfere with our religious rituals," she said, seeking public support for her suggestions and urging the government to consider them.

Clarifying reports that the Vajramushti Kalaga had been discontinued for the first time in history, Pramoda Devi said the claim was factually incorrect, as the wrestling bout had not been held on certain occasions in the 1970s and 1980s and was also omitted in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

She said the Wadiyars had patronised and encouraged Vajramushti Kalaga for centuries and the family continued to support the sport as part of Vijayadashami.

An injury to a wrestler's head during the bout merely signifies the end of the contest and has no religious significance in marking Vijayadashami, she said.

The ceremonial cutting of the pumpkin (ash gourd) with the sacred royal sword, Pattada Katti, signifies the required uttara pooja rituals, while the Vijaya Yatre is conducted at an auspicious time fixed for the purpose. This year, too, the family followed the prescribed muhurta, she said.

On the difficulties faced by the Jetty community, she said its 'Ustads' met her before Vijayadashami, when instructions regarding the timing of the wrestling bout and other arrangements were communicated.

Before 2024, the wrestlers were permitted to stay within the Palace premises on the preceding day. However, following certain incidents that year, the permission was withdrawn.

She said one group of wrestlers had entered the Palace premises while another could not gain entry. Better coordination between the groups could have avoided the confusion, she said, adding that she was also informed that police personnel at a particular gate had refused entry for reasons best known to them.

"Unfortunately, issues between the Jetty community and the police personnel continue to recur each year," she said, calling for proper instructions from senior police officers.

Pramoda Devi also criticised police personnel and their family members for gathering near the Golden Ambari for selfies and photographs, describing the conduct as a lack of discipline and dereliction of duty.

She said the Ambari was made available to the Police Commissioner on request, subject to an undertaking that all precautions would be taken to prevent damage.

Despite duty passes being issued to specific individuals, unauthorised persons from various government departments continued to gather around it, amounting to a breach of the undertaking, she alleged.

Her representatives, who carry out official Ambari-related duties and hold valid passes issued by the Police Commissioner to ensure its safe return, were allegedly manhandled and shoved by police personnel and the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order).

"This is totally unacceptable as they need to know that the Ambari is private property and does not belong to the state," she said.

She also alleged that police vehicles and indiscriminate barricading encroached upon private parking reserved for the royal family, obstructing religious rituals and creating unnecessary hurdles.

These recurring incidents had made her reconsider the decision to conduct the Sri Chamundeshwari Ammanavaru procession on Vijayadashami, as it overlapped with and interfered with the family's religious ceremonies.

She said the family's rituals were an important part of Navratri, while the government-organised Dussehra had no relevance or religious significance in that context.

For the first time in 45 years, the family was also kept uninformed about which elephant would carry the Ambari until the last minute, she said.

She had to approach the Deputy Conservator of Forests five days before the event to obtain the information, causing unnecessary stress.

Pramoda Devi said the Karnataka High Court had stated in its order that the family was at liberty to approach it if there was any obstruction to the performance of poojas and other customary rituals.

However, she had refrained from doing so year after year.

As a way forward, she proposed that the government continue cultural activities from the first to the seventh day of Dasara (Dussehra); keep the Palace premises free on Ayudha Puja and Vijayadashami for the family to perform its rituals at its convenience, without external interference; and hold the Sri Chamundeshwari Ammanavaru procession on the Ambari on the day of the hill's Rathotsava.

She suggested that the procession be taken from the Palace to Bannimantap at a suitable time in the evening on Rathotsava day.

Pramoda Devi urged the government to consider her proposals in everyone's interest and conduct the procession on Rathotsava day with "all grandeur befitting the Nada Devathe" (deity of the state).