Dasara is here, and the festivities have begun across Bengaluru. Though popular in the city of Mysuru, Bengaluru is no less when it comes to celebrating the Nada habba. With unique dolls set up at homes to huge events like Garba nights, Bengaluru is celebrating the festivity with fervor.
Amidst the colourful programmes, the India Institute of World Culture (IIWC), along with Maya Films and Maharaja Shri Jayachamaraja Wadiyar Foundation, has put on display an exhibition of unseen photographs of the Royal Dasara by Mysuru’s veteran photographer K.V. Subba Rao and exclusive glimpses from the royal family’s collection. On its opening day, the event was attended by Kamakshi Devi Wadiyar and Indrakshi Devi Wadiyar, daughters of Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar.
The exhibition has been conceptualised and curated by Maya Chandra, the founder and director of Maya Films. Speaking to The Hindu, Maya said this event is the first of its kind. “We have a group called Basavanagudi Heritage Group that is looking after many of the issues of heritage in the area. Much of our culture and heritage is waning, and the whole idea was to bring back the culture and glory of the royal Dasara and to bring people together to celebrate the spirit of the festivity as a community.”
For the younger generation
“In the photo exhibition, we did not just want to showcase pictures of the festivity in Mysuru but wanted to bring back glimpses of the royal Dasara from the days when the Maharajas of Mysuru would sit on the golden howdah. Today’s generation has not witnessed this kind of Dasara. Whatever they are witnessing now is available on any digital platform, but we wanted to make this an exclusive event, which is why we have installed unseen pictures clicked by Subba Rao.”
She was introduced to Subba Rao when she was documenting a podcast on the celebrations of Dasara inside the palace, which is restricted only to the family. “We came across pictures clicked by Subba Rao, and he very willingly shared photographs of Dasara. We got whatever was available and easily sourceable, as much of his work was lost in a fire accident. So, whatever displayed here are exclusive photographs by him,” Maya added.
Ninety-three-year-old Subba Rao was a professional photographer for close to five decades, closely photographing the Wadiyars and the royal events in Mysuru till he hung up his boots. Subba Rao’s studio Photo Flash, established in 1950 on Dhanvantri Road, Mysuru, was known to be one of the most popular studios in the city back then. Subba Rao had the privilege of witnessing and covering the Dasara festival for 30 years, with Wadiyars, the erstwhile rulers of Mysuru leading the annual celebration back then.
Says Subba Rao, “I am very honoured that my photographs are being presented at this exhibition. Even at the age of 93, I am being recognised through my work, which is very overwhelming. I photographed for 52 years, out of which I spent 30 years of my career photographing the royal family.”
A 30-year association
“Photographing the Maharaja of Mysore and his family is a lifetime experience that any photographer would want to have. I was fortunate enough to get this opportunity. In the three decades that I photographed the Royal Dasara, I was one among the lucky people who could get close to the elephants, the procession, and other important things related to the palace, and photograph the royal festivity closely,” says the nonegenarian.
But he has also been punished for clicking some photographs.
“There is one very close photo of the then Maharaja, Jayachamaraja Wadiyar, in royal attire, on horseback. The Maharaja is seen saluting during the Torchlight Parade that marks the culmination of Dasara at Bannimantap ground. I was able to get so close to the Maharaja because one of my friends pushed me to the ground and asked me to click the picture. But I was immediately caught by the police. Even though it was a great experience, the consequences after that evening were bad. It took me 15 days to get out of that situation. Remembering it, I laugh now, but as a young photographer back then, all of this was really very overwhelming,” Subba Rao says.
He was not just involved in photographing the royal events and members, but he is also known to photograph personalities like Lord Mountbatten, M. Visvesvaraya, and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, among scores of others.
(The exhibition is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. till October 25, at the Indian Institute of World Culture, Basavanagudi.)
Women of Basavanagudi exhibit their talent
The ongoing exhibition at the India Institute of World Culture also has on show dolls, sculptures, soap carvings, and paintings.
“We wanted women in and around Basavanagudi to come in and exhibit their dolls. For many people, it may not be easy to set up dolls in their own homes, as families have become nuclear, and many have shifted to apartments, and space is a matter of concern. We also wanted to retain the tradition and re-introduce it to the generation that is not able to witness it in their homes. We got many applications from women who had wonderful setups, but we shortlisted it to five women, Dr. Rashmi Krishna, Bharathi Vishwanath, Vasanthi Sheshadri, Sheela Madhusudan and Sudha Nagaraj,“ says Maya.
“There is also a setup of beautiful and detailed soap sculptures curated by another talented lady, Chinmai Sharma. Her father, N.S. Sheshadri used to sculpt soap. As a tribute to her father, she has displayed his sculptures. Another huge doll of a Devi by artist Meera Kumar, along with five of her Mysuru art paintings, are also displayed in the exhibition. The beauty of the exhibition is the contribution of all these talented artists. The exhibition’s motive is to bring people together, and we have achieved it,“ Maya added.
