Vintage Vignettes … from a Princely State

By R.G. Singh, Secretary, Ramsons Kala Pratishtana

The golden throne of the Mysore Wodeyars (Wadiyars) has many fascinating legends and stories associated with it. Shrouded in mystery, this throne has been claimed to have belonged to Yudhishthira, the eldest of the Pandava brothers.

Later, it is believed that the throne went into the hands of King Bhoja of Ujjain. The legend from the ancient past is evocative and involves thirty-two dolls that once embellished the throne. It is said that King Bhoja had discovered the throne under an earthen mound and had it restored to his Palace.

After its formal consecration, Bhojaraja takes the first step onto the throne at an auspicious time. The next moment, one of the dolls flies out from the throne and stops him. It starts speaking to a stunned Bhoja and narrates a story that enumerates the virtues of an ideal king who alone is worthy of ascending the throne.

All 32 dolls take turns to narrate a story each of an ideal king. Thus enlightened and wiser, Bhojaraja ascends the throne.

It is believed that Kampilaraya brought the throne to the South. Saint Vidyaranya, the royal preceptor of Vijayanagara kings, is supposed to have shown the hiding place of the throne to the first King, Harihara, who lived between 1336 and 1357.  For the next two centuries, it became the royal throne of the dynasty. The fall and annihilation of the empire finds the throne being carted away to Srirangapatna.

A. Satyanarayana in his book ‘History of the Wodeyars 1610 to 1748,’  states that “according to the Mysore Palace records (annals pp 23-24), Srirangaraya (the last Viceroy of Vijayanagara) was afflicted with a royal boil (Rajapoora) and seeing his end was nearing, sent for Raja Wodeyar and bestowed upon him the throne on 8th February 1610.

After thus bequeathing (to Raja Wodeyar), the Viceroy then proceeded along with his wives Alamelamma and Rangamma and other relatives to Talkad, where he died sometime later.”

Raja Wodeyar, who was given the throne, declares himself to be an independent ruler, ascends the throne and declares himself to be the ‘Karnataka Ratna Simhasanadheeswara.’ He inaugurates the Navaratri culminating with Vijayadashami at Srirangapatna.

The throne is a large object made of a fig-wood core. It has been intricately worked with precious sheets of gold and silver and studded with gemstones to add unparalleled beauty. About 70 to 80 kilograms of gold and metalwork, combined with a heavy wooden frame, form the core. It has a tortoise-shaped seat (koormasana) and has a gem-studded golden parasol crowned with a golden celestial bird.

The inner rim of the parasol is engraved with shlokas which describe Krishnaraja Wodeyar III as:

“Lord of the Earth and son of the illustrious Chamaraja who is resplendent with the blessings of Goddess Chamundeshwari and this golden umbrella of the golden throne which you have inherited from your illustrious ancestors evoke the awe of the whole world.”

Between the 1930s and 40s, the throne underwent a major makeover. It was enlarged in all proportions; in addition to five, two more steps were appended. Repoussé figures were added like finials at the backrest, adorned with deities of Maha Lakshmi, Maha Kali and Maha Saraswati. It is decorated with the figures of Trimurthys, the Ashta Dikpalakas, heavenly damsels, figures of elephants, horses, soldiers and the mythical Gandabherunda. Swarnakalanipuna Singannachar was the master artist who executed this major extension of the throne under the supervision of Shilpi Siddhanti K.S. Siddalingaswamy.

NOTE: The golden throne was assembled this morning at the Mysore Palace, heralding the Navaratri celebrations of 2026.