Police curbs derail Vajramushti Kalaga

Mysuru: The centuries-old ‘Vajramushti Kalaga’, a traditional wrestling contest with a specialised knuckle-duster, held at the Mysore Palace on Vijayadashami, was cancelled yesterday following delays in entry arrangements and confusion over Police restrictions within the Palace premises.

The contest was scheduled to begin at 9 am. Wrestlers, or Jattis, had to perform rituals at Shwetha Varahaswamy Temple inside Palace complex, followed by more than one-and-a-half hours of preparatory ceremonies before entering the arena.

However, despite carrying valid entry passes issued by the Mysore royal family, several wrestlers and their associates were stopped by Police personnel, delaying the preparations. The temple was also not   opened on time.

Jagannath A. Jatti, president of the Bengaluru Garadi Jatti Association, expressed displeasure over the arrangements, saying all the wrestlers had to assemble before the contest could begin.

“Preparations for the ‘Vajramushti Kalaga’ require at least one-and-a-half hours before commencement. Despite possessing valid passes, the Police did not allow us inside and created unnecessary difficulties,” he said.

Sources in the traditional wrestling community said wrestlers and their ustads were unable to enter the Palace in time to complete the rituals and preparations within the stipulated ‘muhurta’.

They were allowed inside only after scion of Mysore royal family and MP Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar completed the private durbar proceedings and began the traditional ‘Vijaya Yatre’.

Traditionally, the ‘Vajramushti Kalaga’ is held before the royal family’s ‘Vijaya Yatre’. However, with the wrestlers unable to reach the arena on time, the Palace Board and members of the royal family reportedly changed the schedule to ensure that the auspicious muhurta for the ‘Vijaya Yatre’ was not affected.

Although the wrestlers eventually entered the Palace after prolonged arguments with Police personnel, the contest could not be held as scheduled and was cancelled.

The cancellation has triggered resentment among cultural enthusiasts and admirers of the Mysore royal family, who have blamed the Police restrictions and poor coordination for disrupting a longstanding Dasara tradition.