following on order from the Maharaja to conduct a census of the Ursu community, a committee led by Gopala Krishne Urs reported that there were 5,000 Ursu community members. Now, there may be at least 40,000. In the Khas Durbar conducted by Srikanta Datta Narasimharaja Wadiyar in the Palace, members of Ursu community attend in royal robes. Culture Owing to their broader outlook and modern administrative reforms, it is being alleged that Ursu community's culture and traditions are getting diluted and disintegrated. However, it is not so. On the contrary, members of Ursu community are strictly following their ancient customs and traditions. Long coat, Zari valli (zari embroidered shawl) and zari peta (embroidered turban) are compulsory for the Ursu groom and wearing only gold ornaments is compulsory for the bride. Demographics They mostly reside in Mysore, Chamarajanagar and Bangalore districts and though a minority in population, there are several achievers in political, literature and social fields. The children of queen mother (pattada rani) were considered eligible to be crowned and were called Ursu. Children of their queens were never to be crowned as rulers. They were called as Bangarada Ursu. Even today, Ursu community is segregated under Thet Ursu and Bangarada Ursu. Notable people Wadiyar dynasty D. Devaraj Urs (Kannada: ಡಿ.ದೇವರಾಜ ಅರಸ ) dominated Karnataka politics for many years and was twice Chief Minister of the same state. M. Kantaraj Urs, an Indian administrator who served as the Diwan of Mysore kingdom in 1918. Kemparaj Urs, a noted early Kannada actor, director in 1940s-1950s and brother of D. Devaraj Urs. See also Arasu (2007 film), a Kannada film whose protagonist bears the name Shivaraj Arasu References External links A genealogy of the Mysore royal family (Source: CURRENT SCIENCE JOURNAL, Dec 2007) Our Karnataka Indian surnames