Curtains came down on the traditional 10-day Dasara festivities here today, with an impressive "jamboo savari" (procession of caparisoned elephants) watched by tens of thousands of people, marking the grand finale.
Celebrated as "naada habba" (state festival), the event showcased Karnataka's cultural heritage resplendent with folk art forms, as 'Arjuna' led other richly embellished elephants through the more than 5-km route from Mysuru Palace to Bannimantapa.
Thousands of people from the city and tourists from outside the state lined up the streets as Arjuna carrying the idol of goddess Chamundeshwari, placed in a 750-kg golden howdah, found its way majestically from the grand Mysore palace to the terminating point.
The "Jumbo savari", observed in the royal style since the days of the erstwhile Mysuru Maharajas, began with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah showering petals on Goddess Chamundeshwari, the presiding deity of the historical city.
Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wodeyar, the scion of the erstwhile Mysuru Royal family, also offered puja to the Goddess.
US-educated Yaduveer Wodeyar, the adopted son of Pramoda Devi Wodeyar, was in May this year crowned as the titular head of the erstwhile Mysuru royal family.
Pramoda Devi Wodeyar is the widow of Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wodeyar, the last descendant of the Wodeyar dynasty. Srikantadatta Narashimharaja Wodeyar had died of cardiac arrest on December 10, 2013.
This year Dasara witnessed Yaduveer, the 27th King of Wodeyar dynasty, ascending the golden throne for the first time during the 'khasa (private) durbar', which is reminiscent of the bygone era.
In the absence of the successor, a royal sword was placed on the throne last year during the khasa durbar.
