Get a rare glimpse of royal 112-year-old sari in Bengaluru this Navaratri

The 112-year-old gold sari from the Maharaja of Mysore Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar

Kamal TN and Sowmya, residents of Subramanyapura in Uttarahalli, are custodians of a woven legacy that dates back more than a century. The article in their possession is a gold sari that was commissioned by none other than the Maharaja of Mysore Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar.

For four generations, this family has been safe guarding a pure silk-and gold-sari weighing nearly two kilograms, which was presented to Kamal’s great-grandfather Tunga Adappa Shetty, Head Shroff of the Mysore Palace by the then Mysore King Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar. The sari was a return gift to the devoted palace employee whom the King held in high regard.

“It is said, the two were known as walking friends,” says Kamal.

“We keep the sari in a pure cotton cover inside a locker, bringing it out only during Navaratri as the sari symbolises Devi Shakthi, and has to be worshipped during the nine nights that represent the feminine nature of the divine,” says Sowmya.

The Tunga Adappa Shetty family are well aware of the sari’s heritage value. Kamal’s father Narayana Murthy says, “We are fortunate that my son Kamal and daughter-in-law Sowmya have a similar mindset in honouring our cultural inheritance. This outlook has seen this century-old sari preserved in its original splendour.”

“We follow this as a tradition and the sari is at the centre of Navaratri puja and festivities. It is only for one day during Dasara that the sari is displayed for the benefit of textile connoisseurs and heritage lovers. Elders in the family have told us the Maharaja took personal interest in ensuring the Kanjeevaram craftsmen adhered to the specifics they were given,” says Sowmya.

“According to stories handed down, it took the best of Tamil Nadu’s weavers a few months to create the sari in pure silk and gold zari. Adappa Shetty and the Maharaja monitored its progress, with weavers regularly bringing them the sari for approval as it took shape,” adds Kamal.