Famous Mysuru Dasara Festival Begin Amid COVID-19 Restrictions.
The state government has issued guidelines for celebrating the Dasara festival in Mysuru by limiting the number of participants to 500 at prominent Dasara events.
The famous 10-day Dasara festivities began in this palatial city on Thursday with religious fervor, amid the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic for the second year in a row.
Celebrated as Nada Habba (state festival), the festivities began with the political leader and former Chief Minister SM Krishna and Chief Minister B Basavaraj Bommai along with other dignitaries showering flowers on the idol of the goddess Chamundeshwari, the presiding deity of the royalty of Mysuru, at the top of Chamundi Hill.
Krishna, who had also served as Union Foreign Minister and Governor of Maharashtra, was chosen by the government to inaugurate the Dasara festivities. Mysuru Minister in charge and Cooperation S T Somashekar, Minister of Finance R Ashoka, Kannada and Minister of Culture V Sunil Kumar,
Religious Endowments, Wakf and Haj Minister Shashikala Jolle and Mysuru MP Pratap Simha were present, among others, at the inauguration. With the COVID-19 pandemic casting a shadow, the government had decided to organize the 412 Dasara festivities in a “simple” way, generally restricting them to keep up with traditions. The 10-day event that each year showcases Karnataka’s cultural heritage resplendent with folk art forms and draws large crowds and tourists, has shrunk for the second year in a row due to COVID-19.
The Mysuru administration has restricted people at most of the events and organized live broadcasts.
The state government has issued guidelines to celebrate the Dasara festival in Mysuru by limiting the number of participants to 500 in prominent Dasara events, such as the cultural programs in front of the Amba Vilas Palace, the famous Dasara procession (Jumbo Sawari) and the Torchlight Parade.
The Jumbo Sawari procession of harnessed elephants carrying the goddess Chamundeshwari idol placed on a golden Howdah in Vijayadashmi or on the 10th day of the festival, which marks the culmination of the celebrations on October 15, has been restricted to the Amba Palace premises Vilas. Furthermore, cultural events, which used to be held in more than a dozen venues, have been restricted to the palace premises. Mysuru’s palace, main streets, gyres or circles, and buildings will be illuminated with lights at night during the 10-day festivities.
Also in the palace, the royal family will celebrate the festivities according to the traditions.
Navaratri celebrations at the palace include various rituals, the most notable being Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, the scion of the Mysuru royal family, dressed in grand garb, leading Khasagi durbar (private durbar) ascending to the golden throne, in the middle of chanting. of Vedic hymns.
Dasara was celebrated by the rulers of the Vijayanagar empire and the tradition was inherited by the Wadiyars.
The festivities were first started in Mysuru by the Wadiyar King, Raja Wadiyar I in the year 1610. It became a private matter for the royal family after the abolition of the private purse in 1971 and the interruption of the privileges of the former rulers.
However, a low-key Dasara used to be held at the initiative of the local population until the state government intervened and then-Chief Minister D Devaraja Urs revived the Dasara celebrations in 1975, which are being followed to this day.
Calling it his “good fortune” to be in the service of “Naada Devate” (state deity) Chamundeshwari, Chief Minister Bommai said the world-renowned festivities have slightly lost their luster for two years due to COVID and expressed his hope of celebrate with greatness. and religious fervor starting next year with the blessings of the goddess.
“I have prayed to the goddess to bring people out of the state of all difficulties and the COVID pandemic,” he said.
S M Krishna, in his speech, called the youth an asset to the nation and emphasized the need to give them the right direction by setting the right kind of ambitions. Recalling his long association with Mysuru, he recalled the contribution of royalty to Mysuru, including the commitment of their jewels to build the Krishnaraja Sagar Dam on the other side of the Cauvery River, which helped the progress of farmers in the region.
He advised the state government to think about the Mysuru Dasara tour package for next year, aimed at covering all the major destinations in the state, as he noted that Singapore is an example of how a place can progress with proper planning and cleanliness.
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