Dassera In Mysore: A Touch Of Royalty

Vyas Sivanand- Bangalore

‘Dassera’, widely referred to as ‘Dasara’ in Karnataka has a popular relevance in terms of history and its contemporary values in the state. The festival is synonymous to the princely town of Mysore, a name that spells royalty. Although the festival is celebrated across the length and breadth of India, nowhere is it celebrated on the same grand scale as it is in Mysore. The festival has its origins in Hindu mythology with the legendary Pandava kings in the great epic Mahabharat celebrating the festival as the triumph of good over evil. However in Mysore, it has evolved into a cultural spectacle, a confluence of art, dance and drama. It attracts tourists from all over the globe who are drawn by its sights and sounds and colourful history. The festival has been traced to the rulers of the glorious Vijaynagar Empire. This tradition has been safe guarded by the rulers of Mysore who have kept it alive to this day.

The nine days comprising the festival of Dassera, turn Mysore city into a cultural hub, with striking performances in music, dance and drama performed by artists of national and international repute. The grand finale of the festival comes on the last day of Vijayadashmi when the idol of goddess Chamundeshwari is taken on a golden howdah atop an elephant on a mile long procession.

Dassera in Mysore

Mysore captivates you with her charm and pierces royalty as an integral feeling. A city rich in old world heritage hosts dassera with as much pomp and grandeur. Dassera dresses up Mysore in rare combinations of colours to reveal a beauty that measures rightly to the beholder who once said, "I thought I lived through beauty, but its only now that I have seen it." Mysore city was the capital of the old royal Mysore province. The word Mysore expands to ‘Mahishasurana Ooru’ which means the town of Mahishasura. To the people of India the word Mysore is synonymous with Sandalwood, silk and fine ivory inlay-work.

It is the home of incense sticks (agarbathi) dipped in sandalwood oil perfume base and has two well known incense factories - the Aravinda Parimala and the Vasu and Cycle brand (together these two account for 70% of the incense stick export from India). Mysore is also the home of many well regarded musicians and artists. It is even today the hub of the tourist map of Karnataka. Nearby are several places of interest to visitors, some of these are Vrindavan Gardens, Srirangapattana, Rangana Tittu bird sanctuary, Chamundi Hills, Nanjanagudu, Bandipur forest reserve, Shivanasamudra falls, and Talakaadu.

The Mysore Palace

Grandeur re-defined, the Mysore Palace with its Indo-Saracenic style provides a glimpse into the royalty of times gone by. Once the residence of the Wodeyars (Now partially), this structure is one of the largest of its kind in India. Built in 1912, the domes, arches and colonnades are a treasure house of exquisite carvings and works of art from all over the world. Intricately carved doors open on to luxuriously furnished rooms. The majestic Durbar hall has an ornate ceiling and many sculptured pillars. The magnificent jewel studded golden throne of the Wodeyars is displayed here during the festival. The golden royal elephant throne, the Durbar hall, the Kalyana mandap and the gallery are the main attractions here. Illuminated on Sundays and public holidays, the palace presents a spectacle of breath-taking beauty.

The Celebration

The Dassera celebration of the Wodeyars of Mysore is legendary. Pageantry and religious fervour have marked the obeisance paid by the rules for centuries to their patron Goddess Chamundi who resides on the lovely hill overlooking the city. For nine days every year, the city dons festive hues as successive kings offer worship to the Goddess to bring prosperity to the kingdom and keep pestilence at bay. On the tenth day, the ruler, in silk and priceless gems, wends his way in procession through the crowded streets of the gorgeously caparisoned elephant. In the 1970s, the government stepped in to conduct the procession with the idol of the Goddess placed on the golden howdah. But Sri Srikanta Datta Narasimharaja Wodeyar, the 26th in an illustrious line and heir to one of the most wealthy royal houses in the country, celebrates the festival with as much devotion as his ancestors.

The last three years have seen Dassera as never before thanks to the Cauvery crisis in the state and the Veerappan menace. But this year the State government set up an upbeat mood in Mysore with programmes that unleashed a new era in future celebrations of this traditional festival. For the first time private sponsors were roped in to organise the events during the nine-day festivities that commenced from September 27. The idea being to raise funds and reduce the burden on the government. The Mysore district administration, which was assigned the task of overseeing the arrangements, said that all the events were been planned to bring back the original glory of Dassera in a manner which is feasible as on today.

The Department of Tourism introduced a Gold Card for tourists who wished to watch the festivities with ease. It was released to provide easy access for tourists to all the programmes and tourist destinations in and around Mysore. Each card costing Rs 5,000 and entitled couples and a child below 5 years of age to avail of all facilities during the festival. The Committee generated revenue to the tune of about Rs 50 lakh through this scheme. The card also provided for special seating arrangements during the nine-day music festival at the palace. The card also enabled the bearer to watch the torch light parade and other events, in addition to having free entry into the Dasara exhibition, the Mysore zoo, Vrindavan Gardens and GRS Fantasy Park. The card holder could also go on a safari at Bandipur and Nagarahole national parks.

Other than the card, the festival also saw a revival of tradition. In the golden days, it was a tradition for the Maharajas to venture into the forests and lead the Dassera elephants to the palace premises in Mysore through ‘Gajapayana’. Gradually, this tradition was given up and the elephants were brought in trucks. This year, the government decided to resume ‘Gajapayana’ and the elephants were brought from the Murkal elephant camp in Nagarahole national park after holding a formal ceremony.

Another addition to the festivities this year was ‘Yuva Dassera’ (Dasara for the youth) which focussed on the younger generation. Special programmes were planned to attract the younger generation. In order to bring a new look to the procession, the committee decided to involve noted art directors in the Kannada film industry for creating appealing tableaus. Interested visitors were taken on a ‘heritage walk’ and shown reputed heritage structures in and around Mysore. The wrestling tournament, Dassera exhibition, flower exhibition, sports meet, music festival atop Chamundi hills were other highlights of the festivities this year. For the first time in the history of the Mysore Dassera, the Karnataka Government also sought the support of the Indian Air Force (IAF) for an aerial display on the day of the Elephant procession. IAF left the spectators at awe with formation flying by MiG aircraft, skydiving, microlight flights, and showering of petals from helicopters on the people witnessing the Dassera spectacle.