Dasara finale draws huge crowds

The finale of the Dasara 2006 drew huge crowds as on the other nine days, an estimated 2.5 lakh visitors, in addition to the local populace, witnessing the colourful Vijaya Dasami procession on Monday.

Visitors poured into the city from different places, including from aborad during the last nights. The Ayudha Pooja and Vijaya Dasami days in particular saw crowds bigger than the last few years.

A boost to this year Dasara was companies like Infosys, Wipro and others setting their shops in this major Tier II city offering opportunities to their oversease clients, trainees and employees to visit Mysore during the historic festivities. These IT companies had bought a large number of tickets for their personnel.

On the last two days, the brilliantly lit up Palace, where music concerts were arranged in front of it, was overflowing with crowds. The roads around it ended up in traffic jams and hold up of vehicles as long as 20 to 30 minutes, as it was the centre of attraction for one and all.

Huge crowds assembled in the Palace courtyard to witness the Vijaya Dasami procession. It included 12,000 VIPs, invitees and pass holders accommodated in the specially erected shamians in front of the Palace.

Even the majestic Palace Durbar Hall was overcrowded and the mahouts found it difficult to lead their elephants amidst the mobbing crowd.

As in the last few years, a decorated Balarama carried the idol of Mysore's presiding goddess, Chamundeswari in the golden howda.

Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, inaugurated the procession at the northern gate of the Palace by offering pooja to the Nandi Kamba, the Nandi flagstaff, at the auspicious Dhanur Lagna at 1-14 pm.

Standing on a specially erected platform in front of Palace fifteen minutes later, he showered flower petals on the caparisoned Balarama. Scion of the Mysore royal family Srikanta Datta Narasimharaja Wodeyar, Yediyurappa and Kumarswamy's wife were among those present. A 21-gun salute heralded the marching of the procession.

Two Kumki elephants, Revathi and Kanthi, kept company with Balarama in the procession comprising of 21 tableaux, a dozen folk dance troupes, bandsets, contingents of police and other uniformed marchers, elephants and horses.

All vantage points, including high-rise buildings, tree and pillar tops were occupied at the main circles on the Sayaji Rao Road, which saw thick crowds of spectators.