Mysore is geared up for the Dasara festivities, popularly known as Nada Habba that will kick-start on Tuesday.
The nine-day festival celebrated as ‘Paramparika Dasara’ will be inaugurated by Sri Siddeshwara Swamiji of Bijapur, in the presence of Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar and his Cabinet colleagues atop the Chamundi Hill in Danur Langa between 10.42 and 11.12 am.
Though preparations started on a low key, the city will come alive on all the nine days of Navarathri as lakhs of tourists are likely to pour in to witness the 400-year-old tradition started by the Vijayanagar kingdom and continued by the Mysore Wadiyars.
The government in a bid to hard sell the festival has illuminated prominent junctions, heritage structures and roads. Events like Dasara sports, Yuva sambrama, music festival in front of the illuminated palace, adventure sports, photo exhibitions, Dasara darshana, bhajans, Yoga Dasara, Raitha Dasara, food mela, film festival, poets’ meet, Children’s Dasara, amusements at Dasara exhibition ground, wrestling to promote traditional sports that once had royal patronage, heritage walk, drama festival, invitation kho-kho, khabadi and volley ball tournaments, mahila Dasara, kite festival, bicycle rally and cultural programmes by children have been organised.
The organisers have included magic shows, sound and light show at Mysore Palace and plan to screen award winning movies in 18 parks across the city.
The introduction of LED bulbs for illumination would save power. The district administration will cut down expenses by dropping Yuva Dasara where young and leading talents are invited. The festivities attract tourists from across the globe generating direct and indirect employment. The festival will conclude with more than 3,000 artistes taking part in the Vijayadashmi procession, a royal pageant and the torch light parade at Bannimantap.
Security Beefed Up
The police have stepped up security deploying around 2,000 policemen, bomb squads, dog squads and have put up CCTVs, check posts to screen vehicles. KSRTC and South Western Railways will run more buses and trains to cope with the rush.
