Raja Wodeyar I (2 June 1552 – 20 June 1617) was ninth

maharaja Mahārāja (; also spelled Maharajah, Maharaj) is a Sanskrit title for a "great ruler", "great king" or " high king". A few ruled states informally called empires, including ruler raja Sri Gupta, founder of the ancient Indian Gupta Empire, an ...

of the

Kingdom of Mysore The Kingdom of Mysore was a realm in South India, southern India, traditionally believed to have been founded in 1399 in the vicinity of the modern city of Mysore. From 1799 until 1950, it was a princely state, until 1947 in a subsidiary allia ...

. He was eldest son of Chamaraja Wodeyar IV, the seventh maharaja of Mysore. He ruled from 1578, after his cousin Chamaraja Wodeyar V's death, until his death in 1617.

Expelling Vijayanagara envoys

Raja Wodeyar I furthered his father's expelling the Vijayanagara ambassadors and envoys. During

Sriranga II Sriranga II (a.k.a. Sriranga Chika Raya) (r. 1614 CE) was nominated in 1614 by King Venkata II to succeed him as king of the Vijayanagara Empire in Southern India. Sriranga was supported by a faction headed by Yachama Naidu of Recherla Velama ...

, who himself faced riots from within his family, Raja Wodeyar removed all Vijayanagara emissaries from the Kingdom, except one in

Srirangapattana Srirangapatna is a town and headquarters of one of the seven Taluks of Mandya district, in the Indian State of Karnataka. It gets its name from the Ranganthaswamy temple consecrated at around 984 CE. Later, under the British rule the city wa ...

. Although the kingdom declared independence from

Vijayanagara Vijayanagara () was the capital city of the historic Vijayanagara Empire. Located on the banks of the Tungabhadra River, it spread over a large area and included the modern era Group of Monuments at Hampi site in Vijayanagara district, Bellary ...

and removed its representatives, Mysore Kingdom continued to recognise the empire and the emperor.

Mysore Dasara Mysore Dasara is the ''Nadahabba'' (state festival) of the state of Karnataka in India. It is a 10-day festival, starting with nine nights called Navaratri and the last day being Vijayadashami. The festival is observed on the tenth day in the ...

His procession from the Palace to the Banni tree in present-day Bannimantap came to be famous after each Mysore king, which, today, has taken the form of the world-famous

Mysore Dasara Mysore Dasara is the ''Nadahabba'' (state festival) of the state of Karnataka in India. It is a 10-day festival, starting with nine nights called Navaratri and the last day being Vijayadashami. The festival is observed on the tenth day in the ...

. Raja Wadiyar is credited with starting the famous

in 1610 to commemorate the kingdom's independence from the Vijayanagara Empire by offering prayers to the Banni tree, about two miles away from Puragiri–the location of present-day

Mysore Palace The Mysore Palace, also known as Amba Vilas Palace, is a historical palace and a royal residence (house). It is located in Mysore, Karnataka. It used to be the official residence of the Wadiyar dynasty and the seat of the Kingdom of Mysore. Th ...

. His only surviving son, Narasaraja Wadiyar, died just a day before the commencement of Navaratri, but the king, after consulting experts, decreed that the celebration of the ceremonies was not to be interrupted even by the death of members of the royal family. Raja Wadiyar was a devoted Vaishnavaite, and he donated the famous bejewelled crown to Lord Cheluvarayaswami Temple at

Melukote Melukote in Pandavapura taluk of Mandya district, Karnataka, in southern India, is one of the sacred places in Karnataka.It is built on rocky hills, known as Yadugiri, Yaadavagiri and Yadushailadeepa, overlooking the Cauvery valley. Melukote ...

; it is a feature of the Raja Mudi carnival even today. This contribution is contrary to his own lineage, for the Wadiyars regarded the temple of Karigiri Lakshmi Narasimha (at

Devarayanadurga Devarayanadurga is a temple town and hill station located in the district of Tumakuru in the state of Karnataka in India. The rocky hills are surrounded by forest and the hilltops are dotted with several temples including the Yoganarasimha and t ...

Tumkur Tumkur, officially renamed as Tumakuru, is a city located in the southern part of Indian state of Karnataka. Tumkur is situated at a distance of northwest of Bangalore, the state capital along NH 48 and NH 73. It is the headquarters of the ...

) as their household deity. The mere fact that all the Wadiyars end their names by ''Narasimharaja Wadiyar'' stands testimony to this. During the

Emergency An emergency is an urgent, unexpected, and usually dangerous situation that poses an immediate risk to health, life, property, or environment and requires immediate action. Most emergencies require urgent intervention to prevent a worsening ...

of 1975, this crown was confiscated from the royal family by the

Government of Karnataka The Government of Karnataka, abbreviated as, GoK, or simply Karnataka Government, is a democratically-elected state body with the governor as the ceremonial head to govern the Southwest Indian state of Karnataka. The governor who is appointed ...

. Legend has it that Raja Wadiyar, having entered the ''garbhagruha'' (''sanctum sanctorum'') of the Cheluvarayaswami Temple on 20 June 1617, became one with the deity (''aikya''; passed away). An idol (''bhakthi vigraha'') of the king may be found inside the temple and another in the Lakshminarayanaswami Temple inside the Mysore Palace Fort.

Expelling Vijayanagara envoys

Mysore Dasara Mysore Dasara is the ''Nadahabba'' (state festival) of the state of Karnataka in India. It is a 10-day festival, starting with nine nights called Navaratri and the last day being Vijayadashami. The festival is observed on the tenth day in the ...

See also