Mysuru: History was made at the majestic Amba Vilas Palace in Mysuru on Monday when twenty-two-year-old royal, Yaduveer Gopal Raj Urs was adopted by Maharani Pramoda Devi, wife of late Mysuru Maharaja Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar. The grandnephew of the Wadiyars is likely to ascend the throne in May-June this year.

Yaduveer was rechristened Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar and will be the 27th Maharaja of the Yadu dynasty. The last royal adoption was in 1865 when Mummadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar adopted Chamaraja Wadiyar. In the audience was Yaduveer's fiancé, Thrishika Kumari, younger daughter of Yuvaraja of Dungarpur Harshvardhan Singh Bahadur, who was present in the front row.

New scion’s fiancée watches his elevation

While Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, the new scion of the Mysuru royal family garnered all the attention after his adoption on Monday, there was a young woman in an elegant pink sari sitting silently in the royal benches watching his elevation as the 27th Maharaja, who did not fail to attract envious looks.

The woman was Thrishika Kumari, fiancée of Yaduveer. This is the first time she has made a public appearance. Her identity was confirmed to Deccan Chronicle by members of the royal family. Thrishika is the younger daughter of Yuvaraja of Dungarpur Harshvardhan Singh Bahadur, who was present in the front row and Maheshree Kumari, elder daughter of Mritunjay Singh of the Vizianagaram royal family. She is a close relative of Union Minister for Civil Aviation Ashok Gajapathi Raju.

Yaduveer and Thrishika got engaged in May, 2013 and had the blessings of late Maharaja Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar, who was then hale and healthy. Mr. Wadiyar and Ms. Pramoda Devi had in fact attended the engagement ceremony. Who would have thought Mr. Wadiyar would die suddenly and the 22-year-old boy would succeed him?

Thrishika is one year younger to Yaduveer and if everything goes according to plan, their marriage will be held in the same Kalyan Mantap in Mysuru Palace, where Yaduveer’s adoption took place, after this year’s Dasara. Speaking to this correspondent, Yaduveer’s father Swarup Anand said the decision on Yaduveer’s marriage will be taken by Ms. Pramoda Devi, who is his mother now. “We no longer have a say in these matters”.
During her conversation with Deccan Chronicle, Ms. Pramoda Devi had said the next event would be Yaduveer’s uppanayana (thread ceremony) followed by his coronation, where he will ascend the historic throne. Later, his marriage will be held.

Interestingly, the last marriage held in the Kalyan Mantap of Mysuru Palace was of Yaduveer’s parents Swarup Anand and Tripurasundari Devi in 1991. The next marriage will be of their son Yaduveer.

Feud between Maharani and Kanthraj

The discord between late maharaja Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar’s nephew Chaduranga Kanthraj Urs and Maharani Pramoda Devi deepened on the day Yaduveer Gopal Raj Urs was adopted as the royal heir.

In contrast to Ms Pramoda Devi’s claim that Mr Kanthraj was given an invitation for the adoption ceremony, he told Deccan Chronicle that he did not receive the invitation by hand or post. “I did not receive the invitation for the adoption ceremony till February 17 after which I was away from Mysuru. Only my sister Tripurasundari Devi, Yaduveer’s mother, called me on February 10 and invited me and my wife for the arthiakshathe ceremony in their house held on Sunday evening.

Ms. Pramoda Devi’s claim that an invitation was sent to me is not true. I don’t want any further confrontation, but I am forced to say this because people within the community should not think ill of me”, he told Deccan Chronicle over phone from Bengaluru. He clarified that he was not sulking and had no grouse against Yaduveer becoming the successor.

Mr. Kanthraj’s absence was felt at the ceremony on Monday. He had performed the last rites of Mr Wadiyar and completed the Dasara traditions last year. As Yaduveer’s uncle, he and his wife would have sat for the adoption as Ms. Pramoda Devi can’t do it since she is a widow. Because, Mr Kanthraj was not there, Raja Chandra and his wife Indrakshi Devi fulfilled the formality. Reacting to Mr. Kanthraj's absence, Yaduveer's father Swarup Anand said it was his decision and he would not comment on it.