MYSURU: All eyes are on the grand finale of the 10-day Dasara festivities, which is scheduled to be held in Mysuru on October 5. Lakhs of people from different parts of the country and even abroad are expected to witness the event which marks the victory of good over evil during the nine-day Navaratri festival which culminates on the last day of Vijayadashami. The festivities were restricted to the Jamboo Savari in Mysuru Palace during the last two years due to the pandemic.
The victory parade this year will involve a grand and colourful procession of caparisoned elephants, horses, tableaux and hundreds of cultural troupes from Mysuru rolling through a sea of people along the 5-km stretch to Bannimantap Grounds.
Meanwhile, the 57-year-old elephant, Abhimanyu, carrying the golden howdah on its back will be flanked by Lakshmi and Chaitra (kumki elephants) besides other jumbos. Of the 14 elephants which were brought from various camps in the forests to train them for the procession during the last one-and-a-half months, nine elephants have been picked for the procession by foresters. This year, 63-year-old Arjuna, who carried the howdah during the previous years, will be participating for the first time post-retirement as Nishane elephant in the procession.
Folk artistes, cultural troupes to march behind elephants
The jumbos will be followed by tableaux representing various cultures of different districts in the state. There will be tableaux featuring various programmes undertaken by the state government. Along with the tableaux, there will be hundreds folk artistes and cultural troupes who will march from the Mysuru Palace to Bannimantap, behind the jumbos.
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai will perform Nandi Dhwaja puja at the north gate of the Mysuru Palace during the auspicious time between 2.36 pm and 2.50 pm before the commencement of the procession. The CM will also flag off the spectacular Jamboo Savari procession by showering flower petals on the idol of Goddess Chamundeshwari placed in the 750-kg golden palanquin on Abhimanyu. The torchlight parade around 7 pm at the Bannimantap Grounds will bring down the curtains on the celebrations after Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot receives the guard of honour.