10-day Mysuru Dasara festivities begin today

Mysuru: Enthusiasm is running high in Mysuru as the 10-day-long Dasara festival, biggest annual celebration in Mysuru is set to begin despite the fact the COVID-19 pandemic has taken away much of its sheen and it is going to be a much-muted affair.

With Mysuru being the second worst-affected after Bengaluru in the state by the pandemic, the world-famous Dasara fest, including the victory parade to mark the triumph of good over evil on Vijayadashmi day will be confined to the Amba Vilas royal palace.

But what remains unchaged with the 410th festival is the spirit among the citizens who are set to kick start celebrations in a traditional way in their homes.

The illumination of the city is going to be the biggest attraction and people in private vehicles will be out to see the how well lit the city is.

Noted doctor and corona warrior Dr C N Manjunath, director of Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research, Bengaluru, will inaugurate the festival by offering floral tribute to the idol of Goddess Chamundeswari housed at a silver mantap atop Chamundi hills between 7.45 am and 8.15 am.

Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, deputy CMs Govinda M Karajola, Dr C N Ashwath Narayan and Mr Lakshman Sangappa Savadi, Mysuru district in-charge minister S T Somashekar, minister for culture and tourism C T Ravi, and endowment minister Kota Srinivasa Poojari will participate. Union ministers D V Sadanandgowda and Mr Prahlad Joshi Chamundeswari constituency MLA G T Devegowda, Mysuru mayor Taslim, zilla panchayat chairperson B C Parimala Shyam will be among invitees.

On the occasion, six corona warriors will be felicitated for their contribution to the State's fight against Covid-19.

In the evening in front of the illuminated Mysuru Palace, Assembly Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri and Legislative Council chairman K Pratap Chandra Shetty will inaugurate eight-day cultural programmes. MLA of Krishnaraja constituency S A Ramadas and others will participate. Each of 11 teams will perform during the eight-day cultural programmes. There will also be a special concert by playback singer Mr Rajesh Krishnan and team as tribute to S P Balasubramayam who recently passed away.

On 26 October, on Vijayadashami day, Dasara jumbo savari will be held in front of Mysuru Palace, in which 54-year-old Abhimanyu will carry 750-kg golden howdah housing the idol of Goddess Chamundeshwari. A few tableaux, cultural troupes and others will be part of the procession.

Scion of the royal family of Mysuru Sri Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar has been invited to participate as chief guest.

Chief Minister Yeddyurappa will offer pooja to 'Nandi dwaja' between 2.59 pm and 3.20 pm at auspicious Makara lagna and launch the procession. And between 3.40 pm and 4.15 pm he will offer floral tribute to Goddess Chamundeswari.

Six corona warriors to be felicitated

♦ Dr Naveen T R, senior medical officer at HHMBG urban primary health care centre (UPHC) in Mysuru which has tested more than 5000 people for covid 19.

♦ P M Rukmini, nursing officer and in-charge matron of Mysuru district Covid hospital which has treated more than 5,000 Covid patients.

♦ Maragamma, a paurakarmika woman in ward No 24 of Mysuru city, where large number of Covid 19 positive cases were reported. Maragamma herself and four of her family members tested positive. She lost her mother-in- law to the virus. Yet undeterred by all these she keeps toiling.

♦ Noor Jaan, Aasha worker at Urban Public Health Centre in Nanjangud taluk. She kept track of more than 500 Covid positive patients, their primary and secondary contacts.

♦ Social worker Ayub Ahmed who has cremated the bodies of more than 240 Covid victims in Mysuru and also 16,000 unidentified bodies found by police in the past 21 years in Mysuru..

♦ Police constable Kumar P who is on deputation in the technical cell of Mysuru city police commissioner's office has done contact tracing of more than 1000 Covid 19 positive patients in Mysuru including 10 members of Tablighi Jamaat of Delhi.

History of Mysuru Dasara

According to M Lakshminarayan, Huzoor secretary of Mysuru Palace, after the reign of Vijayanagar kings, the tradition of Dasara was begun by Sri Raja Wadiyar of Mysuru in 1610. The 25th maharaja of Mysuru Sri Jayachamaraja Wadiyar was the last king to ride in golden howdah in 1970 before the privy purse was abolished.

After that industrialists like F K Irani and other private people of Mysuru came together and formed committee to celebrate Dasara to attract tourists to Mysuru. And it was in 1980 when Mr Gundu Rao was Chief Minister, State government started celebrating Dasara as "naada habba" (State festival). And the Gundu Rao government started borrowing golden howdah from the 26th scion of erstwhile royal family of Mysuru Sri Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar.

Since then the tradition of an elephant carrying the golden howdah with idol of Goddess Chamundeshwari (donated by HNK Gowda and sons of Ashoka Road in Mysuru) seated in it during jumbo savari on Vijayadashami day started. Gundu Rao also started holding musical concerts in the same year, at the darbar hall of Mysuru Palace. In late 1980s, the concert was shifted to downstairs of Mysuru Palace as the experts felt that the pillars of darbar hall would not take the load of a large gathering.