Mysore Dasara to be simpler this year

Mysore: Owing to the prevailing threat of third wave of Covid-19 likely to hit in September/October, the State Government decides to keep this year’s Mysore Dasara festivities to be a simpler and traditional one like the conduct of the festivities previous year.

However, a decision on the number of invitees to witness inaugural and jumbo savari, the finale of the festivities will be taken by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai after another round of meeting after September 20 to ensure that Covid protocol will be followed during the festivities.

“It will be a virtual Mysore Dasara where dasara events be telecasted live on television channels,” said Minister for Cooperation and Mysore District incharge S.T. Somashekar after a meeting with Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai in Bengaluru which was attended by MLAs and officials concerned.

Mr Somashekar said this year’s Mysore Dsara festivities will be held for 9-days instead of 10-days and the inaugural function of the festivities will be held atop Chamundi Hills on October 7. He added that Chief Minister will arrive at a decision on who should be invited to inaugurate the festivities.

The main attraction of the festivities, Jumbo Savari, wherein procession of elephants with Royal Elephant carrying 750-golden howdah, the finale of the Dasara festivities, will be held on October 15 which will be restricted to Mysore Palace premises. The procession will be flagged off at 2.45 pm and culminate at 3.15 pm.

In normal years, jumbo savari will cover a distance of 6-km which will start from Mysore Palace premises and pass through KR Circle before reaching Bannimantap, the culminating point of the procession drawing huge crowds from various parts of the State. Cultural troupes from various parts of the State used to participate.  

The Minister said, illumination of city roads and buildings as part of Dasara festivities will not be scaled down and Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Company (CESC) officials have agreed to make elaborate arrangements for the illumination of city roads to draw crowds during the festivities.

The Chief Minister had sanctioned Rs 6 crore towards the conduct of Mysore Dasara festivities which will also cover dasara events in Srirangapatna about 20-km from Mysore city and also in Chamarajnagar about 65-km from Mysore city.

Somashekar said that “pending arrears of previous Mysore dasara festivities amounting to Rs 8.9 crore has been cleared by CM.”