Raja Wodeyar I


Raja Wodeyar I was ninth maharaja of the Kingdom of Mysore. 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, who himself faced riots from within his family, Raja Wodeyar removed all Vijayanagara emissaries from the Kingdom, except one in Srirangapattana. Although the kingdom declared independence from Vijayanagara and removed its representatives, Mysore Kingdom continued to recognise the empire and the emperor.

[Mysore Dasara]

Raja Wodeyar began in 1610 the tradition of celebrating Mysore Kingdom's independence from Vijayanagara by offering prayers to the Banni tree, about two miles away from Puragiri, the location of Mysore Palace. 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.