ENARADA, Mysore, October 4 ,2013:
Celebrating the triumph of good over evil, the national festival Dasara evokes different images across the country while in the city of palaces Mysore, the famous Dasara with its images of caparisoned elephants and the illuminated palace, and cultural programmes with a fusion of classical, modern, captures the imagination of the people which would commencing here from tomorrow.
Retaining its traditional roots while adapting to modern requirements, Mysore Dasara is truly a “living heritage”, depicting both continuity and change without compromising on the religious aspects.
The Karnataka government had decided to celebrate the ten day festival, in all its traditional glory and splendor.
The countdown has begun and expectations are high for the ensuing dasara festivities, slated to be benchmark for future editions of the festivities commencing here from October5 to 14.
Dasara would see the city Royal come alive with a razzmatazz of light and colours. The state government has released Rs 10 crores for the grand event.
Along with traditional, the festivities break new ground by including additional features. Dasara for Farmers (raithara dasara), Dasara for Women. Mane mane dasara and Children will be juxtaposed with the cultural outfits from across the state, with emphasis on north Karnataka which was never accorded the importance due to it. The Gramena (rural) dasara was also organised all over the district every day in taluk headquaters with various programmes including cultural events.
Jnanpitha award winner DR Chandrashekara kambara will inaugurate the mega event tomorrow by offering a special pooja to goddess Chamundeswari, the principal deity of the city, atop of Chamundi hills. Chief Minister Siddaramiah and other ministers also joined the opening event.
Marking the culmination of the fete, the famous dasara procession would be flagged by the Chief Minister Siddaramiah on October14 in front of the Mysore palace .the festival would end with a mega torchlight parade at bannimantap grounds.
Mysore District Incharge Minister V. Sarinivas Prasad said that said that nearly 40 lakhs tourists were expected to witness the festivities this year for all the ten days. Over 1000 artists would enthuse the audience with their cultural programmes, to be held at Mysore, jaganmohan palace, kalamandira and other places.
In a bid to cash in on the increased tourists arrivals during the dasara festivities, the state tourism department and district administration had announced a few special services like linking places of interest around Mysore.
The Karnataka state road transport corporation (ksrtc) had launched circuit tours to places of interest in and around Mysore during the peak tourist season such as ‘girl dashing’, jaladarshini, and nagaradarshani and deva darshini.
The main cultural events is arranged in front of the palace. Music festival will inaugurated by noted theatre artist Dr Badgi Balappa. Hindustani and Karnataka music and dance artists from across the country would perform in front of the illuminated palace. A formidable line up of stars will render classical music concerts.
This year the State Sangetha award function will also held on opening day in front of palace.
A special police mass band of 1000 police personnel would perform both Kannada and English on October 9 in front of Illuminated palace.
This year the film festival was a unique feature of this Dasara would be that the film shows will not be restricted to the theatres alone but would be taken to the viewers in other places also.
Mysore during the period of Raja Wadiyar (1578-1617) and was today part of the living heritage of the people of the state a blend of the ancient and the modern.
Meanwhile, the Scion of the erstwhile Mysore Royal Family Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar would continue the traditional link by observing the religious chores and laid down in various texts, as in the previous years, he would ascend the throne during the ten day festival inside the palace in a private durbar attended by the royal family members and special invitees
The administration would also organize a wrestling competition of state level tournament, in which over 750 grapplers, including women, from across the state and national are expected to participate besides the traditional wresting also.
A three day state level dasara sports meet with the participation of over 2500 sportspersons at chamundi vihar sports complex and University oval grounds from tomorrow which includes number of events like and track and field besides adventure sports .
In order to attract the youths, the authorities conducted a ‘yuva Sambrama’ festival for the college students more than 150 colleges across the state are participated which come out great success .
The special attraction of Yuva dasara, attract youths in particularly with star singers and others are participating , which was stopped last year due to drought situation and scheduled this year with more attraction commencing here from October 7 for six days .
Together with an age old custom of ‘shah pasada’ where in famous Mysore Tongas would be rolled out on the eve of the festival.
A Food Mela, to be held on the occasion for a week from tomorrow in which various traditional foods of all types would be available for the people’s choice and would showcase culinary delights from across the country and the venue has been shifted to scouts and guides this with wider space.
The other attraction of the festival would be 90 days of famous dasara exhibition in which all the departments of the state would showcase their achievements .The other attraction was 10 day flower show during the festival.
The practice was imbibed by the caviars of chores and laid down in various texts, as in the previous years, he would ascend the throne during the ten day festival inside the palace in a private durbar attended by the royal family members and special invitees.
The priceless golden throne, bejeweled with numerous precious stones, golden embellishments, ivory plaques and silver figurines, would be the cynosure of all eyes at the private durbar. Every year, it was only during the Dasara festivities that the common man gets a change to have a glimpse of the throne.
With scores of tourists thronging the city from across the country and abroad to witness the annual spectacle, which results in two- fold rise in vehicular traffic, the police are working on strategies to ensure smooth flow of traffic on all ten days of the festivities.
The police department to establish a ‘foolproof security apparatus’ deploying more than 6000 police personnel and home guards for nine day mega event with two phase security system.
