Mysuru: The 408th Mysuru Dasara will begin on Wednesday with Infosys Foundation chairperson Sudha Murty set to inaugurate the ten-day cultural feast by conducting pooja to Goddess Chamundeshwari at Chamundi Hills.
The Heritage City is all decked up to welcome the dignitaries who will include Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, Deputy CM Dr G. Parameshwar, Mysuru District Minister G.T. Devegowda and Tourism Minister Sa Ra Mahesh.
Dr Sudha Murty who arrived in the city Tuesday afternoon, said the opportunity to inaugurate Dasara is an honour for a woman achiever. “I last saw the Jumboo Savari procession as an eight-year-old when Sri Jayachamaraja Wadiyar (then Maharaja) sat in the golden howdah,” she recalled.
The Dasara cultural programmes will be held at eight venues including the Mysuru Palace. The festival will conclude with the grand Jumboo Savari covering 4.8 km on October 19 when jumbo Arjuna will carry the 750 kg golden howdah with the idol of Goddess Chamundeswari.
Scion of the Mysuru royal family, Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar will ascend the 800-year-old golden throne to hold a private darbar on Wednesday.
This year’s ten-day Dasara feast will be packed with events to offer a unique treat to Mysureans and visitors with cultural programmes planned at seven venues every evening.
There will be a Bharatanatyam performance by Lakshmi Gopalswamy on October 11, a musical evening with music director Manomurthy on October 12, another with Dr SP Balasubramaniam on October 14, bhajans by Anuradha Paudwal on October 16 and a violin presentation by Lalgudi Krishnan and Lalgudi Vijayalakshmi on October 13.
The South Zone Cultural Centre will feature Kalbeli folk dance of Rajasthan, Mohiniyattam of Kerala, Badaayi Baredi of Madhya Pradesh, Vaankho dance of Arunachal Pradesh and Nicobari dance of Andaman and Nicobar islands.
The Yuva Dasara at Maharaja’s College ground will have performances by Vijayprakash on October 12, Badshah on October 13, Armaan Malik on October 14, Neha Kakkar on October 17, Coke studio on October 16 and Sandalwood Night by Harsha and team on October 15.
The eight-day Dasara food mela will have 90 stalls at the Scouts and guides grounds.
There will be an Ornamental fish show depicting a tunnel aquarium and varieties of fresh and marine water fish from October 12 to 14 at JK grounds. There will also be a day-long open street festival on October 13 at Krishnaraja Boulevard road.
Doll Show
Another highlight is the month-long one lakh doll show by an Andhra based social worker, Ravi Kalyan Chakravarthi, which is supported by the royal family, at Jaganmohal art gallery to raise funds for a destitute home. There will be heritage walk with traditional attire on display on October 11, a heritage cycling event on October 12 and a heritage tonga ride on October 13. Other events include the Farmers Dasara, Women and Children’s Dasara and Fine Arts and Crafts Dasara.
