The Wadiyar (alternatively spelt Wodeyer or Odeyer) dynasty ruled the Kingdom of Mysore from 1399 AD to 1950, with an interruption. They were a feudatory house under the Vijayanagar Emperor, took advantage of the weakening of Vijayanagar Empire and became free. Raja Odeyar, secured Srirangapatna in 1610, which was the seat of the Vijayanagar Viceroy.
The word ''Wadiyar'' in Kannada means ''Lord'' or ''Lordship''. Historic records use the term ''Wodeyar'' when referring to the dynasty's royal family members, the ''W'' is silent. The variation ''Odeyar'' is also used. The dynasty was established in 1399 by Yaduraya Wodeyar. He ruled Mysore under the Vijayanagar Empire until 1423. The kingdom remained fairly small during the early period, however after the fall of the Vijayanagar Empire in 1565, the kingdom of Mysore became independent and remained so till 1799.
Raja Wadiyar who ruled from 1578 to 1617, expanded the borders of the kingdom and in 1610, changed the capital city from Mysore to Srirangapatna. Later Kanthirava Narasaraja I, who ruled from 1638 to 1659 expanded the frontiers to Trichy in Tamil Nadu. The dynasty reached its peak under Chikka Devaraja,who ruled from 1673 to 1704, who reformed the administration by dividing it into 18 departments, called Chavadis.
A curse was believed to be cast on the Wadiyars in 1612 by Alamelamma, wife of King Tirumalaraja, who ruled the Vijayanagar Empire. Alamelamma was a widow and had a large amount of precious jewellery, including a fine nose ring studded with a large pearl. As a widow she was not permitted to wear any jewellery. Raja Wadiyar sent his army to seize the jewellery by force. To escape the wrath of the Mysore army, Alamelamma jumped into a whirlpool in the river Kaveri uttering the legendary curse on Raja Wadiyar with the jewels and escaped.
The curse as passed down in folklore over the last 400 years is ''Talakadu mara Lagali, Malangi Maduvagali, Mysuru Doregalige Makkallilade Hogali'' which translated to ''May Talakad turn into a barren expanse of sand, may Malangi turn into a whirlpool, may the Rajas of Mysore not have any children for all times to come.''
Raja Wadiyar, in his grief had an idol of Alamelamma made in gold, installed it in the Mysore Palace and worshipped it as a deity, a tradition carried out till date. The Dasara festivities inside the palace end on the evening of Navarathri with a pooja to Alamelamma before celebrating Dussehra. For these nine days the royal couple are required to stay inside the palace, another interesting part of the story is that the Alamelamma temple is under the care of the legal heirs of the Alamelamma, who live inside the palace. On the night of Dussehra, the Mysore Palace is truly a breathtaking sight with dazzling 100,000 light bulbs illuminating the palace.
Strangely, these priests/caretakers appear to be cursed and do not beget children and follow the same pattern afflicting the Wodeyars. The curse came true as successive kings adopted their nephews or cousins to take over the throne. Talakad is still a vast expanse of sand with the temples buried, and at Malangi, the river is the deepest.
Islamic Rule. From 1760 to 1799, the rule of the dynasty was essentially nominal, with real power given in the hands of the ''dalwai'', or commander-in-chief, Hyder Ali and his son Tipu Sultan, who expanded the kingdom, but clashed with the British. After Tipu Sultan was killed in the Battle of Srirangapatna in 1799, the Wodiyars were restored to a reduced kingdom.
British Rule. The capital was shifted to Mysore. In 1831, commissioners were appointed to be in charge of the kingdom. In 1881, the transfer of power back to the Wodiyars heralded an important phase in the making of modern Mysore. Mysore became the cultural center of Karnataka.
The last king of the dynasty was Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar, who ruled from 1940 until independence, but continued as Maharaja till 1950. He became Raja Pramukh, head of Mysore State from 1950-1956, and Governor of the present Karnataka State in 1956 till 1964. Then he was Governor of Madras state for two years. The Maharaja died in 1974.
Coins of Mysore
Kingdom of Mysore, 1674-1760, One Kasu, copper, weight 3.1 g, Obverse: Goddess Laxmi seated, Reverse: Intersecting parallel lines with ''W'' like symbol.
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