Pramoda Devi Wadiyar asks Karnataka to move Chāmuṇḍeśvarī's Ambāri procession off Vijayadaśamī, citing interference with palace rituals

Pramoda Devi Wadiyar of the erstwhile Mysuru royal family has urged the Karnataka government to hold the procession of Sri Chāmuṇḍeśvarī on the Golden Ambāri on the day of the Rathotsava atop Chamundi Hills instead of on Vijayadaśamī, The Hindu reported. In a long statement on Sunday, she expressed "deep disappointment" over Dasara 2026, alleging poor coordination between government departments and police that caused inconvenience to the family and interfered with customary rituals.

She proposed that the State continue its cultural programmes for the first seven days of Dasara but keep the palace free of government activity on Āyudha Pūjā and Vijayadaśamī so the family can perform its rites. She suggested the Ambāri procession be held on Rathotsava day in the evening, from the palace to Bannimantap.

Describing the religious ceremonies as central to Navarātri, she said the government's Dasara "had no relevance or religious significance". She alleged that police at one gate refused entry to one group of Jetty wrestlers who perform the traditional Vajramuṣṭi Kāḷaga, and called reports that the bout had been discontinued for the first time factually incorrect, noting it was not held on some occasions in the 1970s and 1980s and in 2020.

She also alleged security lapses around the Golden Ambāri, saying police and their families crowded it for selfies and that her representatives with valid passes were manhandled. "They need to know that the Ambari is private property and does not belong to the State," she said, adding that it was lent at the Police Commissioner's request.

She said that for the first time in 45 years the family was not told in advance which elephant would carry the Ambāri. The government's response was not reported.