Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar |
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| 26th Head of the Wadiyar dynasty | |
| Tenure | 10 September 1974 – 10 December 2013 |
| Predecessor | Jayachamaraja Wadiyar (father) |
| Successor | Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar (grandnephew) |
| Born | 20 February 1953 Mysore, Mysore State, India |
| Died | 10 December 2013 (aged 60) Bangalore, Karnataka, India |
| Spouse | Pramoda Devi |
| Issue | Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar adopted after his death by his widow. |
| House | Wadiyar |
| Father | Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar |
| Mother | Tripura Sundari Ammani |
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Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar (born 20 February 1953 – died 10 December 2013) was an important figure in India. He was a royal, a politician, and even a fashion designer. He served as a Member of Parliament for the city of Mysore.
Srikantadatta was the son of Maharaja Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar, who was the last king of Mysore. After his father, Srikantadatta became the head of the Wadiyar dynasty. He continued many of the royal traditions. He also helped promote Mysore silk saris through his own fashion brand.
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Early Life and Family
Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar was born on 20 February 1953. He was the only son of Maharaja Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar. His mother was Maharani Tripura Sundari Devi. He had five sisters.
When his father passed away in 1974, Srikantadatta became the head of the royal family. He continued the traditional customs of the family. This included the famous Mysore Dasara festival. He led these traditions from 1974 until his own death in 2013.
Education and Learning
Srikantadatta studied at the private Royal School inside the Mysore Palace. He finished his high school education in 1967. He also took horse-riding lessons. He had British and Anglo-Indian nannies who helped raise him. A mentor named Mr. Watsa guided him in his younger years.
In 1968, he joined Maharaja's College, Mysore. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1972. He focused on English literature and political science. He also studied sociology and Kannada language. Later, he earned a master's degree in political science from the University of Mysore. He even studied law as an open-university student.
Srikantadatta also learned Western classical music and Carnatic classical music. When he was young, he studied the ancient Vedas. He received a gold medal for being the top student in his Master of Arts in Political Science.
Love for Cricket
Throughout his college years, Srikantadatta was a keen cricketer. Many Indian kings and princes enjoyed cricket. He even had a collection of cricket bats signed by international players. His passion for cricket led him to become the captain of his university team. Later, he became the president of the Karnataka State Cricket Association.
Political Career
Srikantadatta Wadiyar was a long-time member of the Indian National Congress (INC) party. He ran for Member of Parliament representing Mysore six times. He won four times as a member of the INC. He lost twice, once as a candidate for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and once as an INC candidate.
In 1984, he first ran for the Lok Sabha elections. He won as an Indian National Congress candidate. In 1991, he joined the BJP but lost the election. He then returned to the INC. He won the Lok Sabha elections in 1996 and 1999. However, he lost the 2004 elections.
Personal Life and Traditions
Srikantadatta Wadiyar was married to Pramoda Devi. She has a post-graduate degree in Hindi. The couple did not have any children of their own.
He continued the royal tradition of Mysore Dasara every year. He performed all the rituals that his ancestors, the rulers of the Kingdom of Mysore, used to do. During Dasara, he held a special khasagi (private) durbar. In this ceremony, he would sit on the golden throne at the Amba Vilas Hall of the Mysore Palace. Even though he no longer had an official royal title, people respectfully called him 'Maharaja'.
Passing and Legacy
On 10 December 2013, Srikantadatta Wadiyar passed away at the age of 60. He died from a heart attack in Bangalore. He was cremated with full state honors in Mysore. On the day he passed, businesses in Mysore closed voluntarily to show respect. The chief minister of Karnataka declared two days of mourning. The lights of the Mysore Palace were also turned off for thirteen days as a sign of sadness.
Srikantadatta Wadiyar died without a direct heir. In 2014, during the royal Mysore Dasara celebrations, his nephew performed some rituals. The "private" durbar was held by placing the royal sword on the throne.
On 23 February 2015, Pramoda Devi Wadiyar adopted Yaduveer Wadiyar as her son. This made him the new head of the dynasty. He now continues the royal family's customs and traditions.
Remembering Srikantadatta
The Karnataka State Cricket Association named the Karnataka Premier League tournament after him. He had been elected president of the association just before his death. The University of Mysore also renamed its cricket ground, the Gangotri Glades Cricket Ground, in his memory. A sand sculpture and a wax sculpture were also created to honor him.
In 2014, India Posts released a special postal cover. It showed a picture of Srikantadatta Wadiyar's private durbar.
See also
- Wadiyar dynasty
- Kingdom of Mysore
- Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar
- Krishna Raja Wadiyar IV
- Mysore silk
