MYSURU: Mysuru city is gearing up to extend a red carpet welcome to Jamboo Savari that will mark the grand finale of the 408th Dasara celebrations on Friday. The Dasara festival that was inaugurated on October 10 by Infosys Foundation chairperson and writer Sudha Murty atop Chamundi Hills has brought lakhs of people to the city. It has cultural events in 38 venues, including some events in front of illuminated Mysore Palace at Town Hall and Jagan Mohan Palace. Musicians and artistes from across the country, as well as local talents, have performed during the festivities.
Though the evening showers hampered the celebrations for a couple of days, the illuminated heritage buildings and streets drew huge crowds. Jamboo Savari will be inaugurated by Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara and others by offering puja to Nandhi Dwaja at Balarama Gate of Mysore Palace between 2.30 pm and 3.15 pm. This will set in motion the Vijayadashami procession.
The CM will offer floral tribute to presiding deity Chamundeshwari along with Yaduveer Krishnadutta Chamaraja Wadiyar in the 750kg Golden howdah carried by elephant Arjuna. The Jamboo Savari procession will have 42 troupes and 2,500 artistes perform at the 4.5km procession route.
The city police that have come under strong criticism and scrutiny after the molestation cases during Open Street festival have tightened security measures. It deployed 5,500 policemen, home guards and installed CCTV cameras on main roads.
Golden howdah
The golden howdah, the most revered antique piece that dates back to the tenure of the Wadiyars, continues to be a crowd puller. While there is no clarity on how the howdah became an integral part of the festival, it is believed that Chamarajendra Wadiyar X, who ruled between 1868 and 1894, started the culture with wooden howdah.