Karnataka - Mysore   

Mysore's well-kept secret

Special Correspondent

The golden throne of the Mysore royalty is kept for public view only during Dasara

MYSORE: Ranked among the most popular tourist destination in India, Mysore has well kept secrets. So while the tourists make a beeline for the Palace, not many know that the golden throne in the palace is on view for the public only for 10 days in a year.

The golden throne has an interesting history that lends an element of mystique to it.

According to one version, the throne belonged to the Pandavas and was in Hastinapura.

Kampilaraya is credited with bringing the throne from Hastinapura to Penugonda in Andhra Pradesh and it was buried here till Vidyaranya, the royal preceptor of the Vijayanagar kings, helped retrieve it in 1336 AD. Vidyaranya, on locating the spot, commanded Harihara I to take it.

The throne hence came to be used by the Vijayanagar kings at Anegondi for more than a century until it was brought to Srirangapatana in the 17th Century by a governor of the Vijayanagar kings. In 1609, the throne was said to have been handed over to Raja Wadiyar, who ascended the golden throne with traditional gaiety and directed that Dasara be celebrated in all its grandeur while enjoining that all his descendants should continue to celebrate Navaratri eternally and perpetuate the culture of the region.

Not withstanding the legend, historians point out that there is epigraphic evidence to prove that the golden throne was with Chikkadevaraja Wadiyar in 1699.

There is another school of thought, which traces the origin of the golden throne to the Mughals and it is credited to emperor Aurangazeb, who is reckoned to have gifted it to Chikkadevaraja Wadiyar in 1700 AD.

There is a legend that Chikkadevaraja's friend Khasim Khan died in Delhi and hence the king sent a delegation to the emperor to extend his hand of friendship and the latter is reckoned to have permitted Chikkadevaraja to ascend the golden throne. But this view is not accepted by many as it lacks any evidence.

After the fall of Tipu Sultan, the throne was said to have been recovered from the Palace in Srirangapatana and was renovated and used.

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