Mysore State Anthem?? Hmmnnn...

Some memories arrive quietly, like the first medal you win in an event that you never intended to participate in, and then stay with you forever.

One such memory began on an otherwise ordinary day, when my father invited me to join him for an event at his alma mater—Vijaya College in Jayanagar, Bangalore. I said yes, expecting a typical day of speeches and polite applause. What unfolded, however, was anything but ordinary. Among the dignitaries at the event was a guest of remarkable distinction - Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar the 27th and current Custodian of the Royal House of Mysore (in simpler words the Maharaja of Mysore. His presence brought with it an air of quiet regality, despite his simple demeanor.

But the day held another surprise — just before the close of the ceremony, the Mysore State Anthem was played. Kayou Shri Gowri, they called it. I paused. I had grown up hearing Karnataka’s state anthem - Jaya Bharata Jananiya Tanujate and India's national anthem - Jana Gana Mana, but this? This was different. Melodious, devotional, and deeply stirring. Intrigued, I went home and began researching the origins of this hauntingly beautiful anthem—and what I discovered left me in awe.

Penned by Basavappa Shastry, the court poet of Mysore, Kayou Shri Gowri was composed in 1881 at the behest of Maharaja Chamaraja Wodeyar, to mark the return of the kingdom to the Wodeyars by the British under the Rendition Act. The anthem is not a glorification of power or conquest, but a reverent invocation to the goddess Chamundeshwari, the presiding deity of Mysore.

Remarkably, inclusivity was built into its very performance: non-Hindu singers were permitted to replace the name of the goddess with Devaru—meaning ‘God’—making it a prayer for all. The anthem's musical roots are just as rich. It is set in Raga Dheerashankarabharanam—known as Bilawal in Hindustani classical music and equivalent to the C major scale in Western music. Its universality and lyrical clarity made it a daily staple in schools, and it echoed proudly at public functions to herald the Maharaja’s arrival.

But perhaps the most fascinating piece of this story lies in its influence on Rabindranath Tagore. During his 1919 visit to Mysore, Tagore heard the anthem and was deeply moved. Inspired by its melody and sentiment, he later composed Jana Gana Mana—our national anthem—using the same raga and scale. While each princely state had its own anthem, none captured Tagore’s imagination like Mysore’s did.

What began as a simple outing with my father became a journey through hidden chapters of our history. The visit to Vijaya College that day has not only left me with just with a story to tell, but also with a deeper appreciation for the cultural symphony that is India—woven together by myths, music, monarchs, and memory.

Want to hear the anthem? Here's the link :-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-UkdYT9ay0