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Mysore Dasara is an exhibition of colours. It has a tinge of the past and a hue of today. It is a celebration of a living dream - of the triumph of good over evil. The exaggerated processions, jittery people, royal elephants, lively concerts, dancing dolls, luminous buildings, fresh flowers, luscious food; Mysore Dasara is the world your child dreams of. It pulls people from Mandya as it does from Mumbai or Manhattan.
Beginning in the 15th century, Mysore Dasara has tended traditions. It is the state festival of Karnataka and also called navratri (nine nights) with a special festivity marked on each date. The tenth and the final day of celebrations is called Vijaydashmi. It is on Vijaydashmi that the grand jambu savari (elephant ride) takes place. Goddess Chamundeshwari's idol is placed on a golden mantapa and taken on procession all across the city. The royal family ends the procession at a banni tree (prosopis spicigera) for it holds a religious significance.
Goddess Chamundeshwari is said to have killed the buffalo-headed demon Mahisha on the auspicious day of Vijaydashmi. Since then, Goddess Chamundeshwari has been considered the guarding force of Mysore. Hence, the Wodeyars of Mysore pay special tribute to the Goddess of Shakti at Chamundi Hills to mark the start of Dasara celebrations. What follows is the old-style durbar held at the court of the King himself. The tradition follows to this day with the scion of the Wodeyar family adorning the golden throne.
They say that the Mysore Dasara was more pompous than you could have ever imagined. The bedtime stories of Mysore have always failed to put the child into sleep. Instead, they put the child into a dream full of magical sounds and colours. The grandeur has been reworked by the Government of Karnataka. They have put in efforts to restore past glory. Folk arts are presented before the audiences. A wrestling match is arranged. An exhibition of dolls is an integral part of Dasara. Industrial exhibition is an added attraction. The Mysore palace is illuminated with over 10,000 light bulbs. With various activities and stalls, Dasara is a steaming success each year more than the previous one.
Facilities provided for visitors are top notch. Gold cards are available for visitors each costing Rs. 7,000/- for a couple and a kid below 6 years. The card also acts as a permit pass to almost all the tourist attractions in Mysore throughout the ten days.
Mysore is easily accessible through rail and road. The Mysore-Bangalore highway is one of the best in the country. Trains ply all day long from Bangalore and many other parts of India to Mysore. The nearest Airport is at Bangalore (185 km away). One can hire a taxi from there to visit Mysore.
The route to Mysore has several attractions that are worth visiting. It's impossible not to notice it when you enter Ramnagara because huge hoardings at the entrance say "Welcome to the Silk City". It is the centre for sericulture activities. The raw material for the Mysore Silk saree that you'd probably buy at Mysore is marketed by Ramnagara. The district is also famous for trekking given the beautiful rocks in the area. The classic Hindi Film, Sholay was shot at the very rocks.
Channapatna is your next stop. It is the doll city. Dasara is also called bombe habba (or doll festival). The beautiful dolls arranged at Mysore come right from Channapatna. Don't miss your chance to pick a couple of dolls for yourself. Next on the way is Maddur. The spicy Maddur Vada is the local delicacy. You're sure to find many stalls by the road that sell authentic Maddur Vada. As you slurp and burp, you'll find a historical temple at Srirangapatna to your left by the river Kaveri. The Ranganathaswamy temple here was built in the 9thcentury by the Ganga Dynasty. 19 kms away from Srirangapatna is Mysore, the host city of the grandeur that Mysore Dasara is!
