Mysuru decks up for grand finale of iconic Dasara celebrations

Mysuru: The city of palaces is all set for the spectacular procession on the occasion of 'Vijayadashami' on Saturday, which will also mark the grand finale of the 10-day long iconic 'Mysuru Dasara' celebrations atop Chamundi Hills.

Celebrated as 'Nada Habba' (state festival), the Dasara or 'Sharan Navaratri' festival was a grand affair this year, depicting Karnataka's rich culture and traditions, reminiscent of royal pomp and glory.

Thousands of people are expected to witness the 'Jamboo Savari', a march of a dozen caparisoned elephants led by 'Abhimanyu' carrying the idol of Goddess Chamundeshwari, the presiding deity of Mysuru and its royals, on a 750 kg howdah or "Ambari" .

The grand procession will begin with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah offering 'pooja' to the 'Nandi Dhwaja' (Nandi Flag) from the imposing Amba Vilas Palace premises, at an auspicious timing between 1.41 pm to 2.10 pm at the Balarama gate of the palace.

The procession, consisting of a number of artists' or cultural groups and tableaux from various districts, depicting its regional culture and heritage, will be covering a distance of about five kms before culminating at Bannimantapa.

Tableaux from various government departments, depicting various schemes or programmes and social messages, are also expected to be part of the procession, with people in large numbers expected to line up along the procession route, hours before it starts.

The Chief Minister and other dignitaries including Mysuru royal family scion Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar will then flag off the procession of caparisoned elephants by showering flowers on the idol Chamundeshwari, placed in a howdah, at an auspicious time around 4 pm.

During the days of yore, the king would sit in the howdah accompanied by his brother and nephew. Sri Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar was the last royal King of Mysuru to ride in the howdah.

The tradition of the Dasara procession continues to this day but now, instead of kings, the idol of the presiding deity of the Mysuru city, Goddess Chamundeshwari, is taken in procession in the howdah. The core of the 750-kg howdah is said to be wood, but is covered with 80 kg of gold.

At the palace, keeping up with the traditions, the royal scion Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, dressed in grand attire, will take out the 'Vijaya Yatra' from Amba Vilas Palace till Bhuvaneshwari Devi temple, within the premises, where he will perform special pooja to 'Shami' tree tomorrow.

Wadiyar on Friday performed "Ayudha Pooja" and ritual to the erstwhile royal family's weapons, vehicles, and animals including elephants, horses, and cows, continuing the age-old legacy and traditions.

‘Vajramushti Kalaga’, a special duel between 'Jetties' (wrestlers) armed with a ‘Vajramushti’ or a knuckle-duster, will also be part of the celebrations at the palace on Saturday in which Jetties from various parts of the state would participate.

Various programmes were held for the last nine auspicious days of Navrathri, during which the palace, major streets, turnarounds or circles and buildings of Mysuru were beautified by illuminating them with lights, fondly known as "Deepalankaara", and cultural programmes were held at various venues.

Dozens of events like- food mela, flower show, cultural programmes, farmers' Dasara, women’s Dasara, Yuva Dasara, children’s Dasara, and poetry recital attracted people this year, along with regular crowd-pullers like the famous Dasara procession (Jamboo Savari), Torch Light Parade, and Mysuru Dasara Exhibition, turning the city into a carnival of sorts.

Dasara was celebrated by the rulers of the Vijayanagar empire and the tradition was inherited by the Wadiyars of Mysuru.

Festivities were first started in Mysuru by the Wadiyar King, Raja Wadiyar I in the year 1610.

It became a private affair of the royal family following the abolition of the privy purse in 1971 and the discontinuation of the privileges of the erstwhile rulers.

However, a low-key Dasara used to be held on the initiative of the local people until the state government stepped in and the then Chief Minister D Devaraj Urs revived the Dasara celebrations in 1975, which is being followed till date.