Yaduveer Wadiyar performs Banni Puja, a tradition in practice from 414 years
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Mysuru: The titular head of erstwhile Mysore royal family Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar performed the traditional Banni (Shami) Puja at the Bhuvaneshwari Temple within the Mysore Palace fort.
This marks the 414th year of Dasara celebrations by the Mysore royal family, a tradition that began in 1610. The celebrations were first initiated by Raja Wadiyar, the ninth Maharaja of the Wadiyar dynasty, at Gourikaduve in Srirangapatna.
The Navaratri and Vijayadashami festivities culminate with the Banni Puja, held in the northern part of the royal residence in Mysuru.
Yaduveer Wadiyar, the 27th Maharaja of the Mysore royal family, conducted his first Dasara Durbar in 2015. This year, he is leading the Navaratri and Dasara celebrations for the ninth time at the Ambavilas Palace.
Yaduveer and his wife Trishika Kumari Wadiyar, welcomed their second child on Saturday.
In the past, during the erstwhile kingdom, the Maharaja would adorn golden howdah as part of the royal procession, which would conclude at Bannimantap in the northern part of Mysuru city. There, the Maharaja performed the Banni Puja. Today, the royal family continues this tradition within the palace fort, though the procession now features the idol of Goddess Chamundeshwari.
The Banni Puja holds significance in Hindu mythology, with references in the Ramayana and Mahabharata. Both Lord Rama and the Pandavas performed the Shami Puja before fighting the battle against evil forces.
-Team Mysoorunews
Mysooru News
