Raja Wodeyar I
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| Raja Wodeyar I | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9th Maharaja of Mysore | |||||
| Reign | 1578–20 June 1617 | ||||
| Predecessor | Chamaraja Wodeyar V (first cousin) | ||||
| Successor | Chamaraja Wodeyar VI (grandson) | ||||
| Born | 2 June 1552 | ||||
| Died | 20 June 1617 (aged 65) | ||||
| Issue | Yuvaraja Narasaraja, Raja Wodeyar II | ||||
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| House | Wodeyar | ||||
| Father | Chamaraja Wodeyar IV | ||||
Raja Wodeyar I (2 June 1552 – 20 June 1617) was the ninth Maharaja of the Kingdom of Mysore. He was the eldest son of Chamaraja Wodeyar IV, the seventh Maharaja of Mysore. Following the death of his cousin, Chamaraja Wodeyar V, he reigned from 1578 until his death in 1617.[1]
Expelling Vijayanagara envoys
[edit]Raja Wodeyar I maintained his father's policy regarding Vijayanagara ambassadors. During the reign of Sriranga II, who faced internal conflict within his family, Raja Wodeyar expelled most Vijayanagara emissaries from his kingdom, retaining only one in Srirangapattana. Although Mysore declared independence from the Vijayanagara Empire and removed its representatives, it continued to recognise the empire and the emperor.[2]
Mysore Dasara
[edit]
The initiation of the Mysore Dasara celebrations in 1610 is attributed to Raja Wodeyar I, marking the kingdom's independence from the Vijayanagara Empire. This involved offering prayers to the banni tree, located near the current Mysore Palace. His only surviving sondied a day before the commencement of Navaratri. However, the king decreed that the ceremonies should continue uninterrupted.
Raja Wodeyar was a devout follower of Vaishnavism and donated a bejewelled crown to the Lord Cheluvarayaswami Temple at Melukote. This crown is still used in the Raja Mudi carnival. This donation contrasts with the Wodeyar family's traditional association with the temple of Karigiri Lakshmi Narasimha at Devarayanadurga in Tumkur as their household deity.[undue weight? – discuss] During the Indian Emergency in 1975, the Government of Karnataka confiscated this crown from the royal family. Legend states that Raja Wodeyar, upon entering the garbhagruha (sanctum sanctorum) of the Cheluvarayaswami Temple on 20 June 1617, became one with the deity (aikya; died). An idol (bhakthi vigraha) of the king is located inside the temple, and another can be found in the Lakshminarayanaswami temple, part of the Temple inside the Mysore Palace Fort.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Madur. "The Life and Times of Raja Wodeyar I – The 9th Maharaja of Mysore". Kamataka. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
- ^ "The Life and Times of Raja Wodeyar I – The 9th Maharaja of Mysore". Karnataka.com. Karnataka.com. Retrieved 24 April 2025.