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Pramoda Devi Wadiyar has expressed displeasure over attempts to drag the Sri Chamundeshwari Temple into political debates linked to the state government’s Dasara celebrations
Pramoda Devi, the senior-most custodian of palace traditions, said the choice of chief guest at the Dasara celebrations had triggered unnecessary controversy. File pic/Facebook
The conflict between the Mysuru royal family and the Karnataka Congress government is a long-drawn one and not merely about the invitation of Banu Mushtaq as the chief guest for the administration’s Dasara celebrations.
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In 2024, the Congress government drafted the Chamundeshwari Kshetra Development Authority Act, a law aimed at setting up an independent statutory body to manage and bring about the “development and maintenance” of Shree Chamundeshwari Kshethra, in Chamundi Betta, or hills. This move was vehemently opposed by the royal family.
Yaduveer Wadiyar, the current Maharaja and BJP MP from Mysuru-Kodagu, along with his mother Pramoda Devi, expressed displeasure over efforts to politicise the temple issue and draw the royal family into unwanted controversy linked to the state’s Dasara events.
This tug-of-war over ownership and control has heightened tensions between the state government and the Mysuru royals. And now, the Dasara celebrations have once again become the latest flashpoint.
‘Insensitive and inappropriate’: Mysuru royal family
Pramoda Devi, the senior-most custodian of palace traditions, said the choice of chief guest had triggered unnecessary controversy. She criticised remarks such as “Chamundeshwari Temple does not belong to Hindus” as insensitive and inappropriate.
“If it were not a Hindu temple, it would never have been brought under the Muzrai (Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments) department in the first place,” she countered, taking on deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar’s claim that Chamundi Hill belonged to all faiths.
She also stated that since the government’s celebrations are held in front of the palace, an auspicious time is fixed for both the inauguration and the grand Vijayadashami procession of Chamundeshwari to ensure no overlap with the royal family’s rituals.
“The government’s Dasara is a Samskruthika Acharane (cultural celebration). By its nature, the State cannot claim religious sanctity, tradition, or heritage in conducting such a festival,” she said in her statement.
The Wadiyar royal family called the formation of the authority “unconstitutional” and, in its arguments presented to the high court seeking a stay, said that Chamundi Hill, which houses the Chamundeshwari Temple, is its “private property”.
Last September, the Karnataka High Court issued a directive to the state government that it should not alter or interfere with any fixed or movable assets of the Chamundeshwari Temple without consulting the court.
In her petition, Pramoda Devi Wadiyar told the High Court that the Act was nothing more than a bid to “take over the ownership, control and management” of the Chamundeshwari Temple and other shrines on Chamundi Hill “under the garb of development”.
The BJP has been opposing this move by the Siddaramaiah government as one against dharma and also another step by the Congress to infringe upon deeply rooted Indian traditions and customs. It also demanded that Banu Mushtaq inaugurate the festivities only after she first declares her reverence for Goddess Chamundeshwari.
Congress moved to hold first meeting of CKDAA, despite HC order
The row escalated again on September 3, 2024, when the royal family objected to chief minister Siddaramaiah chairing the authority’s first meeting on Chamundi Hill. In a letter to the secretary, the family said the meeting violated the High Court’s interim stay, though Siddaramaiah insisted the order had already been vacated.
The Wadiyars believe the authority is designed to sideline them from their traditional role. They fear that once the body takes charge, all decisions relating to the hill and the temple—from managing donations and offerings to future development—will rest with the government.
Their unease also stems from the authority’s structure: a 15-member panel dominated by bureaucrats and politicians and headed by the chief minister, with powers to acquire land and push development projects. The family worries this could lead to the over-commercialisation of the sacred hill.
“They are looking at turning it into a tourist hub. But this is not a place for cable cars or sporting activities. It is a space of devotion, of our culture and our Hindu values,” a source close to the family told News18.
Pramoda Devi has said the family is prepared to manage the Chamundeshwari Temple if the court rules in its favour. She stressed that circumstances today are very different from when her late husband, Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar, had written to the government highlighting difficulties in managing the hill.
What was the government’s plan under the Act?
At the first meeting of the Sri Chamundeshwari Kshetra Development Authority, which Siddaramaiah held, the royal family said it was “nothing less than contempt of court”. The chief minister then went on to direct officials to prepare a master plan, form a task force for devotee safety, survey hill encroachments, and introduce stronger security measures. The union government’s Prasada scheme was also part of the plan to be implemented on the hills, and pending projects like the long-delayed drinking water supply were to be expedited.
The CM said that the body was created to provide better facilities for devotees. He said the surge of pilgrims, especially on weekends, required improved infrastructure and tighter security. Plans included installing surveillance cameras under CSR funds, improving lighting to deter crime, and enforcing bans on liquor, smoking, gutka, and pan masala. The government also announced steps to make the area plastic-free.
The authority was tasked with overseeing not only the Chamundeshwari Temple but also 23 other shrines, including Varahaswamy, Bhuvaneshwari, Prasanna Krishnaswamy, Kote Anjaneya Swamy, and Gayathri temples. Renovation of these temples, development of Devi Kere (the lake atop the hill), and conservation of the iconic Nandi statue were also on the agenda.
Why did the royal family oppose it?
The government first announced the creation of the authority in its budget in 2023, with rules notified on July 1, 2024. But Pramoda Devi challenged the move immediately, filing a writ petition that led the High Court to declare the Act unconstitutional and issue a stay order.
Despite this, Siddaramaiah convened the first meeting on September 3, 2024. The Wadiyars maintain that several properties on Chamundi Hill, including the Chamundeshwari Temple, belong to them—a claim backed by a 1972 government order listing royal properties. The royal family also contended that Chamundeshwari Temple and all the temples of Chamundi Hills were among the “private properties” of the erstwhile Maharaja of Mysore as per the 1950 agreement with the Indian Union. They argue the authority is simply a means for the state to seize these holdings and assert control over the hill and was more of a political move.
About the Author
Rohini Swamy, Associate Editor at News18, has been a journalist for nearly two decades in the television and digital space. She covers south India for News18’s digital platform. She has previously worked with t…Read More
Rohini Swamy, Associate Editor at News18, has been a journalist for nearly two decades in the television and digital space. She covers south India for News18’s digital platform. She has previously worked with t… Read More
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