Nalwadi

Nalwadi is a Kannada honorific historically used for senior rulers in the Kingdom of Mysore, in present-day Karnataka, India. The title is associated with the Wadiyar (Wodeyar) dynasty and appears in royal genealogies and historical records related to Mysore. Holders of the title were regarded as paramount rulers within the princely state and were involved in governance, court affairs, and the patronage of culture, education, and public works during their periods of leadership.

The use of Nalwadi as a royal title reflects broader patterns in the region’s royalty, where honorifics signified seniority, authority, and responsibility for the state. The period in which the Mysore monarchy flourished under the Wadiyars saw modernization efforts, infrastructural development, and engagement with broader political changes in British India, though specifics varied by ruler and era.

In contemporary times, Nalwadi is also encountered as a given name in Karnataka and among Kannada-speaking communities. It is rarely used as a formal title today, reflecting the political changes that followed Indian independence in 1947 and the integration of Mysore into the Indian state. The term continues to appear in historical discussions and genealogies of the Mysore royal lineage, serving as a marker of traditional royal nomenclature rather than an active contemporary designation.