MYSORE: The rich heritage and culture of Karnataka was on display at the jamboo savari on the final day of Dussehra festivities on Saturday.
Tableaux from all the 30 districts of the state highlighted their prominent local temple architecture, businesses, natural resources, culture and tradition.
The tableaux from newly formed Telangana state and Puducherry also made to the jamboo savari with their depiction of Alampura Jogulamba Shakti Peetam and Indo-French architure respectively.
Folk and cultural troupes from outside the state stole the show at the jamboo savari. Bihu folk dance of Assam, chou dance of Assam, theyyam and thidambu nritham of Kerala, tappatam, karagattam, navilunrythyam, kolata and kavadi dance from Tamil Nadu, Punjab’s bangra and performers from Puducherry, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan and Telangana enthralled the people. With help from Rapid Action Force (RAF), Quick Response Team, DAR, CAR, KSRP, Home Guards and Traffic Wardens, bomb disposal and anti sabotage teams, the city police successfully managed the heavy crowd along the procession route. Separate enclosures for ticket and pass holders made it easy for the police to manage the crowds. Barcode readers were in place to ensure that people without proper passes did not enter the enclosures.
Validators helped the police check the authenticity of passes and tickets. Metal detectors were also installed at select points.
The city police also took help of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to monitor the crowds. This is for the first time the RAF was deployed at all the entry points of the Palace along with local police. Both the RAF and local police were deployed along the procession route to ensure people did not come on to the procession path.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, after offering puja to Nandi Kamba at Kote Anjaneyaswamy temple, surprised everyone around him by lifting the Nandi Kamba and dancing a few steps to mark the inauguration of Dussehra festivities.
Ministers from Assam, judges, senior bureaucrats of Union and state governments, politicians and businessmen were among the VIPs who watched the spectacular Dussehra procession. Best possible arrangements were made inside the Mysore Palace. The people enjoyed watching the colourful procession without any disturbances from the policemen and Dussehra committee members.
The procession route was fenced and was declared as zero tolerant zone. Neither media persons nor anyone dressed in civil dress entered the area. Policemen on duty, including RAF were provided with chairs.
Tourists and visitors with passes to various galleries, including gold cards, invitees and VIPs, got a better view as compared to previous years. However, the cops restricted movements of media persons within the Palace and stopped them from entering Wadiyar’s residence. CCTV cameras were placed within the Palace.
To prevent people from claiming high rise structures and sitting on compound walls around the Chamaraja Circle, sprinkled glass pieces on the walls.
In the wake of delay in appointing a successor to Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar, the Royal family took out a Royal Sword procession to mark Vijayadashami. Special seating arrangements for around 1,500 foreigners from 80 countries were put in place.
The free-wi-fi facility provided in the city a few days ago, was not available either on the Palace premises or along the jamboo savari route. People who had come to watch the jamboo savari hoping to avail the free wi-fi facility to send or upload pictures were disappointed.
