The erstwhile city of the Maharajas, Mysore, will witness Dasara celebrations from tomorrow. It is the first Dasara to be held under a BJP government.
For the next 10-days, Mysore will turn into a city of celebrations with cultural programmes, a film festival, sports and wrestling, air show, food mela, Dasara exhibition and a host of other programmes. The celebrations conclude with the mega event — the Vijaya Dasami procession — on the afternoon of October 9.
Tumkur’s Siddaganga Mutt seer Shivakumaraswamy will flag off the celebrations from atop the Chamundi Hills, the abode of the Mysore’s royal deity Goddess Chamundeswari, at 10.48 am.
Chief minister B S Yeddyurappa is expected to be present. Despite the celebrations being the first under his regime, Yeddyurappa will not be present at the other inaugural functions scheduled during the day, unlike some of his predecessors. He has left this task to his juniors in the ministry.
Karnataka Film Chamber chief and veteran film actress Jayamala will inaugurate the film festival at Kala Mandira at 12.30 pm. Inauguration of the Dasara Exhibition at the Doddakere Grounds at 2 pm by Tourism and Infrastructure Development Minister Janardhana Reddy.
Karnataka textile, youth services and sports minister Goolihatti Shekar will inaugurate the wrestling competitions at the Dasara Exhibition premises, 30 minutes later. Senior film actor and MLC Srinath will inaugurate the Raganayana cultural programmes at Bhoomi Geetha in Ranga Mandira at 5 pm.
The nine-day cultural programme by veteran musicians in front of the illuminated palace is the major attraction among the cultural programmes in the city. Mysore’s veteran cine artiste K S Aswath will launch this programme at 7 pm.
Shivakumar Sharma (Santoor), Rona Majumdar(Bansuri), Yesudas (Carnatic vocal), Suharth Subodh (Mandolin), Anuradha Paudwal (devotional music) and Ranjan Gauhar (Odissi dance) are set to perform at the Palace venue.
The IAF is scheduled to put up an air show with a static aircraft display, Chetak formation, fly pasts and sky diving.
The city will see special illumination at several places, apart from the palace and on the Dasara procession route, the Sayyaji Rao Road.
In a last minute bid to draw tourists to the city, the government has decided to give tax exemption for tourist vehicles coming to Mysore, from September 30 to October 12, following complaints by tourist operators that the entry tax for tourist vehicles from outside Karnataka was very high. The entry tax is as high as Rs 200 per seat.
Homestay during the festive season has received poor response. Hence, the authorities have decided not promote it this year.
