Dasara

SPECIAL FEATURE MYSORE DASARA OCTOBER 10, 2008









J AM B OO S AVA R I , THE

grand procession on

Vijayadasami in 2007.









M.A. SRIRAM

Maximum festival

The 10-day Dasara festival in Mysore is a rare blend of the ancient and the

modern. B Y R . K R I S H N A K U M A R IN MYSORE







It is Brand Mysore’s most potent victory of good over evil. Called “Naada Habba” or

State festival, Dasara in Mysore has metamorphosed

symbol. It has everything for into a rare blend of the religious and the secular. The

festivities have assumed the character of a carnival in

everybody – for the connoisseurs of which the modern mix with the ancient, without

diluting the religious essence of the events.

art and culture, for the youth, for In recent years, Dasara has become the fulcrum

of activities to promote Mysore as a tourist and

heritage enthusiasts, for tourists, investment centre. Given the heady cocktail of histo-

ry, old-world charm and modernity, Mysore repre-

and for investors. sents both continuity and change. And “Brand

Mysore” never fails to leave an impression on the

MYSORE comes alive in all its glory at Dasara minds of investors and tourists.

time. This year’s celebrations will be from September Dasara, over the years, has come to represent

30 to October 9 and will culminate, as usual, in a different things for different people. For the connois-

procession on Vijayadasami day to underline the seurs of art and culture, it is an opportunity to soak in



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SPECIAL FEATURE MYSORE DASARA OCTOBER 10, 2008









the glory of classical music and dance;

for youngsters, it is time to swing to the

music of Indipop stars at the Yuva

Dasara (Dasara for Youth) events; for

heritage enthusiasts, it is an opportu-

nity to take a tonga ride or feast on the

beauty of Mysore’s historical build-

ings; and for stakeholders in tourism,

the mega event helps market Mysore

as a hot destination for domestic and

international tourists.



IDEAL DESTINATION

Mysore has an incredible mix to be-

come an ideal tourist destination









M.A. SRIRAM

throughout the year – the temple ar-

chitecture of Somnathpur, the Bandi-

pur wildlife sanctuary;

the royal family, Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wodeyar,

TH E S C I O N O F Srirangapatana with its historical leg-

holding durbar at the Amba Vilas Palace during Dasara 2007. acy; the desert dunes of Talakad at T.









A living symbol

ON the eve of his departure to Ma- developed a strong although the Mysore

dras (now Chennai) to assume emotional attach- Citizens’ Committee

charge as the Governor of Madras in ment to Dasara. conducted the festiv-

July 1964, the last Maharaja of My- Even after the in- ities.

sore, Sri Jayachamarajendra Wo- tegration of the prin- However, in a

deyar, in reply to a question about cely states into the bid to recapture the

the future of Mysore Dasara, replied: Indian Union in glory of the Dasara,

“You can speculate, and I can 1947, or the forma- Chief Minister R.

speculate.” tion of linguistic Gundu Rao revived

Would it mean the end of an ep- States in 1956, the the festivities in the

och in which a five-century-old tra- traditional form of early 1980s with the

dition had come to mean a living Dasara was not af- active cooperation of

M. A. SRIRAM









symbol of the ancient culture of Kan- fected. But after the the scion of the royal

nadigas? Perhaps such doubts might de-recognition of the family, Srikantadat-

have exercised the minds of people in princely order in ta Narasimharaja

J OUR N ALI S T KR I S HN A

South India 400 years ago when the 1970, stripping it of Wodeyar. Dasara,

VATTA M has witnessed

mighty Vijayanagar kingdom fell in all the privileges, in- which centred

Dasara since 1959.

1565. cluding the privy around the Mahara-

If the picturesque details of Ita- purse, certain modifications were in- ja with elaborate religious functions

lian, Portuguese, Persian and Rus- troduced in the festivities in tune inside the palace, admission to them

sian travellers who visited with the constitutional framework. restricted to a few, shifted its focus to

Vijayanagar are any indication, one For the first time in the history of cultural activities and is now open to

would find a grand replica being cel- Dasara, the Maharaja was not all. The Maharaja has been replaced

ebrated in Mysore. Successive rulers brought into the picture and it was by the idol of goddess Chamundes-

of Mysore zealously safeguarded and celebrated as a local affair with go- wari, and the procession is now a

preserved the form and content of vernment officials taking the lead. secular affair depicting the culture of

the festivities, and it is no wonder The State government was clueless, the State, rather than military might.

that the people of Karnataka – espe- as it were, and postponed the cele- Krishna Vattam

cially in the old Mysore region – have bration for one reason or the other, (as told to R. Krishna Kumar)





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SPECIAL FEATURE MYSORE DASARA OCTOBER 10, 2008









Narsipura, not to mention Mysore city

itself, which has enough to keep a ded-



‘Ecstatic moment’ icated tourist occupied for days.

This year, heritage rides, food me-

las, flower shows, traditional wres-

RENOWNED science writer J.R. tling, classical dance, as well as

Lakshman Rao reminisces about cultural programmes in front of the

the Mysore Dasara festivities he illuminated Mysore Palace will enter-

witnessed as an adolescent when tain revellers. The palace provides the

Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar perfect setting for open-air music con-

(1894-1940), whom Mahatma certs.

Gandhi described as “Raja Rishi”, It has seen the likes of Hariprasad

was the ruler of the princely state. Chaurasia, Rajan Sajan Mishra, Lal-

“I was a boy of 15 when I first gudi Jayaraman and the late Kunna-

saw the durbar of Nalvadi Krish- kudi Vaidyanathan enthralling

naraja Wodeyar at the palace. It was crowds. A new concept to be intro-

an ecstatic moment for me as I duced this year is Mahila Dasara,

watched the proceedings wearing a which will highlight the work of self-

black suit and a Mysore Peta, the help groups. The State government,

M.A. SRIRAM









mandatory dress code to attend the for its part, makes an earnest effort to

durbar,” recalls the 87-year-old re- showcase and project the city of pal-

tired professor. J . R. LA K S H M A N R A O, aces. It has sanctioned Rs.10 crore this

The durbar was restricted to rel- science writer. year for the celebrations.

atives of the royal family, govern-

ment officers and pass holders. “My sembly of Mysore State in 1881, the ORIGIN OF DASARA

brother-in-law and sister somehow first by any princely state in the Dasara is believed to have originated

managed to get a pass for me to see country, to address people’s grie- as a simple thanksgiving ceremony to

the durbar proceedings. They told vances. One of the sessions of the Indra for providing timely rains. It ac-

me that the ninth day of the durbar Assembly, chaired by the Dewan, quired complex connotations later

was strictly meant for Europeans,” used to coincide with the Dasara such as the triumph of good over evil as

says Prof. Lakshman Rao, who has festivities. symbolised by the killing of the de-

published several science books in “The Maharaja wanted to give mon-king Ravana by Rama. In My-

Kannada and has been in the fore- an opportunity to the representa- sore, Dasara and Vijayadasami are also

front of the movement to popularise tives to watch the festivities and associated with the slaying of the de-

science in the last 50 years. therefore the session was timed to mon Mahishasura by the main deity of

He remembers the Vijayadasa- coincide with Dasara,” he says. The the city, Chamundeswari.

mi processions (called the Jamboo Maharaja invited many renowned The origin of Dasara in Mysore is

Savari) in pre-Independence India musicians, including the “Asthana traced to the celebrations that the Vi-

when the Maharaja used to sit in the Vidwans”, to perform at the palace jayanagar emperors (A.D. 1336 -1565)

golden howdah mounted on the during Dasara. conducted. During their rule, Dasara

back of a caparisoned elephant. “Even the music concerts were became the state festival and was orga-

“People used to wait for this mo- restricted to a select audience, but nised on a grand scale. The Wodeyars,

ment,” he adds. loudspeakers were kept in the pal- who were the feudatories of the Vijaya-

People used to come to Mysore ace forecourt for the benefit of the nagar emperors, inherited this tradi-

using various modes of transport, common people. I have listened to tion, which continues to date.

primarily bullock carts, with their the music of many stalwarts during When the capital shifted from Sri-

families and friends to watch the my college days,” remembers rangapatana to Mysore after the fall of

procession. “Their happiness knew Lakshman Rao. Tipu Sultan in 1799, the Wodeyars in-

no bounds when they saw Nalvadi Apart from music concerts, peo- troduced the concept of holding a pub-

Krishnaraja Wodeyar, who was ple from villages were invited to lic durbar during the celebrations. The

highly respected for his concern for showcase traditional sports such as special durbar that was held exclusive-

the common people, in the proc- wrestling and folk art forms such as ly for British nobles and European

ession,” he recalls. “Keelu Kudure Kunita” in the pal- guests brought fame to the Mysore

Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar ace forecourt. Dasara.

instituted the Representative As- Shankar Bennur A glimpse of the Dasara of yore is

brought alive in 26 classical murals



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SPECIAL FEATURE MYSORE DASARA OCTOBER 10, 2008









Wrestling tradition

of victory for their garadi will please

them. The wrestlers take part in the

contest after years of training under

the watchful eyes of khalifs, yaja-

mans and ustads. Naada Kusti is ve-

ry popular among people from the

lower middle class and from rural

areas.

Old-timers never tire of recount-

ing how the Wodeyar ruler Ranad-

heera Kanteerava Narasaraja

Wodeyar I (1638-1659) defeated an

arrogant wrestler at Tiruchi. First

promoted by Raja Wodeyar in the

16th century, the popularity of Naa-

da Kusti reached its peak during the

rule of Krishnaraja Wodeyar in the





M.A. SRIRAM

first half of the 20th century.

Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar

fixed the Jaganmohan Palace as the

WR E S T L E R S E N G A GED I N Naada Kusti during Dasara. venue of the competition, but it was

later shifted to the Sahukar Chan-

A CAPARISONED elephant carry- nagar kings made it a great sport by naiah akhada. Over a period of time,

ing the golden howdah, concerts in including it in the Dasara festivities. the State government improved the

front of the Mysore palace, and Naa- The Wodeyars continued with the akhada. The Karnataka Exhibition

da Kusti (traditional wresting) are tradition. Thus wrestling became Authority built a modern akhada

some of the main attractions of My- synonymous with the city of Mysore. near the exhibition grounds at a cost

sore Dasara. The smell of fresh mud wafts of Rs.1 crore a few years ago.

During the annual Dasara festiv- across the stadium as wrestlers grap- Sadly, the garadis and the expo-

ities, wrestlers from inside and out- ple with each other to win the prized nents of Naada Kusti are a neglected

side the Mysore kingdom came to silver mace. As a Naada Kusti bout lot despite the game’s popularity.

participate in the Naada Kusti com- goes on in the akhada, a cloud of However, with the restoration of two

petitions in front of the Durbar Hall dust rises and so does the adrenalin of the oldest garadis in the city,

of the palace. The Maharaja of My- levels of frenzied fans of the pahal- wrestlers can hope that the sport will

sore would witness the competitions wan (wrestler) from their favourite receive more patronage.

and honour the winners. The Vijaya- garadi (gymnasium). Nothing short Muralidhara Khajane





that adorn the Kalyana Mantapa in the From a military affair during the rule ciated with the festivities, clad in royal

Mysore Palace. These have helped im- of the Maharajas, the procession has robes. On all the 10 days, he goes

mortalise Dasara. There have been sig- now become an occasion to showcase through a ceremonial bath, worships

nificant changes in the festivities in the the cultural diversity of the State and the family deity in the palace, enters

post-Independence era. the achievements of the State govern- the durbar to the accompaniment of

For instance, the procession on Vi- ment. the chanting of mantras, ascends the

jayadasami day earlier had the Mah- However, tradition has not been golden throne and receives tributes

araja seated in the golden howdah and supplanted in its entirety. Images of a from courtiers in what is purely a fam-

carried by caparisoned elephants. But bygone era unfold in the main palace ily affair witnessed by a select au-

after the abolition of the privy purse, as the scion of the royal family and dience.

the Maharaja was replaced by the idol former Member of Parliament, Sri- The ceremonies are held in the

of goddess Chamundeswari, while the kantadatta Narasimharaja Wodeyar, Amba Vilas Palace, which is also

traditional durbar was abolished. performs all the religious rituals asso- known as the Diwan-e-Khas.



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SPECIAL FEATURE MYSORE DASARA OCTOBER 10, 2008









For a rural flavour

Interview with State Minister Shobha Karandlaje. B Y R A V I S H A R M A



THE world-famous Mysore Dasara This year Volvo buses will ply exclu-

is a 10-day-long festival that was first sively between the tourist spots. The

started by the Vijayanagar kings in State road transport undertaking

the 15th century. The tradition was has made arrangements for tourists

continued by the Wodeyars of My- to buy one token to visit all the tour-

sore after the fall of the Vijayanagar ist spots; it will cover food as well.

kingdom. After Independence, the

State government took over the task What is the budget for this year’s

of conducting the festivities. Dasara?

Spearheading this year’s efforts As promised in the State budget,

is Shobha Karandlaje, the Karnataka Rs.10 crore has been reserved for this

Minister for Rural Development and year’s Dasara. Of this, Rs 2.5 crore

Panchayati Raj. Excerpts from an in- will be used for the Dasara pro-

terview she gave Frontline on the grammes and the rest for other

plans for this year’s Dasara. works.



How will this year’s Dasara be What steps are being taken to

different from the previous year’s? M.A. SRIRAM attract tourists?

The festivities will have a rural, Besides highlighting the festiv-

farmer’s flavour. We are going to M I N I S T ER SHOBHA ities on our website, we have

showcase the age-old traditional K A RA N D LA J E , who is in charge of launched a media campaign. At the

farming methods from different the Dasara festivities this year. recent ‘AKKA ’ [Association of Kan-

parts of India, highlight organic nada Kootas of America] Confe-

farming, and exhibit Indian breeds no outlet for their talent and cre- rence 2008 in Chicago, the

of cattle. We want to revive tradi- ativity. We will also have some of the [Karnataka] Chief Minister made a

tional farming methods. ‘Rural Das- best-known names – Pandit Shiv- presentation on the festivities. We

ara’ will also be held in six taluks of kumar Sharma, Yesudas, Jagjit also distributed CDs.

Mysore district. The focus will also Singh, Ronu Mazumdar and Anu- At designated information

be on women and children. radha Paudwal – performing against kiosks we will be distributing the

A special event will showcase the the backdrop of the Mysore Palace. city’s maps, circuit maps [highlight-

activities of self-help groups, wom- ing places of tourist interest in the

en’s organisations and children, in- Though more tourists visited the surrounding districts] and impor-

cluding those with special needs. Mysore Palace than the Taj Mahal tant brochures like the compendium

I have also personally invited the this year, Mysore Dasara has not of information about Mysore.

entire Mysore royal family to take made the kind of headlines it should We are also taking steps to en-

part in the festivities. The Maharaja have. courage rural folk to visit places of

does play a prominent role, and his No, not really true. This year we tourist interest and the Dasara pro-

sisters and other family members al- are expecting around 30 lakh grammes by offering concessional

so have much to contribute. Many of tourists. rates of entry. Transport facilities

them told me that their children There is the constraint regarding and food will also be provided at con-

were not aware of the various accommodation, but we are taking cessional rates.

festivities. steps to address this. My govern-

ment is thinking of acquiring and Are any events planned for

What about cultural activities? earmarking some land exclusively Srirangapatna, where the Mysore

The emphasis will be on rural for the construction of hotels. We are Dasara festivities are said to have

folk dances and singing. We want to also planning to set up a mono rail or originated?

bring to the public’s notice rural per- tram that will link all the important We are planning a light-and-

formers who are very good but find tourist spots in and around Mysore. sound show at Srirangapatna.





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SPECIAL FEATURE MYSORE DASARA OCTOBER 10, 2008









Glorious

legacy

Mysore offers the tourist much more

than a heritage tour of palaces and

historical buildings. B Y L A I Q H K H A N





The Mysore Zoo, Chamundi Hills,

Brindavan Gardens, the

Ranganathittu bird sanctuary, and

Srirangapatna are all part of the

tourist circuit of Mysore.

MYSORE, known for its magnificent palaces, Indo-Saracenic style of architecture. The three-sto-

majestic buildings, sprawling gardens and tree-lined rey symmetric building of the palace with beautiful

boulevards, is one of the few cities in India that have domes and an ample courtyard, designed by the

managed to retain an old-world charm. The second English architect Henry Irwin, is a must-see in the

largest city of Karnataka, it used to be the capital of itinerary of tourists visiting Mysore. Not surprising-

the Mysore kingdom. The cultural growth of the city ly, the Mysore Palace attracts an almost equal, if not

during the rule of the Mysore Maharajas earned it a larger, number of visitors as the Taj Mahal does.

the sobriquet “the cultural capital of Karnataka”. The scion of the Mysore royal family still occu-

A visit to Mysore need not necessarily be a heri- pies a portion of the palace, which used to be the

tage tour of the palaces and historical buildings, official residence of the Maharajas.

which dot the city. The Mysore Zoo, Chamundi Hills, The Jaganmohan Palace, situated close to the

Brindavan Gardens, the Ranganathittu bird sanctu- Mysore Palace, was built in 1861 as another retreat

ary, the St. Philomena’s Church, Nagarhole and Ban- for the royal family. It has been converted into the

dipur forests, and Srirangapatna, the headquarters Chamarajendra Art Gallery, which houses a vast

of the warrior king Tipu Sultan, are all part of the collection of paintings, sculptures and handicrafts.

tourist circuit of Mysore. The Lalitha Mahal Palace, which is situated on

Also known as the City of Palaces, Mysore is the eastern side of the city, was the summer palace of

home to the Maharaja’s Palace, popularly referred to the Maharajas and a guest house for their European

as the Mysore Palace; the Amba Vilas Palace; the friends. Nestling at the foot of Chamundi Hills, the

Jaganmohan Palace, which has been converted into magnificent, white-coloured structure, built in 1921

an art gallery; and the Lalitha Mahal Palace, which according to the design of E.W. Fritchley, is model-

was transformed into a luxury hotel, run by the India led on St. Paul’s Cathedral in London.

Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), in 1974. Another prime tourist destination in Mysore is

Built in 1911 after the old palace in the fort was the more-than-a-century-old Chamarajendra Zoo-

burnt down in a fire towards the end of 19th century, logical Gardens, popularly known as the Mysore

the Mysore Palace is one of the main tourist attrac- Zoo. It is home to a variety of birds, animals and

tions in the city. Situated in the heart of the city, the reptiles, kept in enclosed natural surroundings. Es-

palace is regarded as one of the finest examples of the tablished in 1892, the zoo is now spread across more



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OCTOBER 10, 2008

SPECIAL FEATURE MYSORE DASARA

Ranganathittu bird sanctuary on the summer palace; Gumbaz, the tomb of

of the

AN AE R IA L V I E W banks of the Cauvery. It consists of a Tipu Sultan; Colonel Bailey’s dunge-

Chamundi Hills near Mysore. group of islets that are a much sought- on; Sri Ranganatha Swamy temple

after abode for a variety of exotic birds and Nimishamba temple; and the Ja-

from far-off places. miya Masjid.

Srirangapatna, which was the Somnathpur, situated around 35

headquarters of the Mysore kingdom km east of Mysore, is a 13th century

for about four decades in the 18th cen- temple in the Hoysala style of architec-

tury during the rule of Hyder Ali and ture. The Bandipur National Park and

Tipu Sultan, also draws a large num- the Nagarhole National Park are 80

ber of tourists. Other major attractions km and 75 km respectively from My-

are the Dariya Daulat Bagh, Tipu’s sore.









Royal collection

THE saris that adorned the women

of the Mysore royal family will soon

be on display at a museum in the

city. The land for the building has

been identified next to the Karnata-

ka Silk Industries Corporation’s

M.A. SRIRAM









(KSIC) silk factory.

With just fours years to go for

the centenary of the silk factory set









M. A. SRIRAM

up by Maharaja Narasimharaja

than 100 acres (one acre is 0.4 hectare) Wodeyar, the KSIC has plans to set

beside the Karanji Lake. up a heritage museum to showcase

At 1,150 metres, Chamundi Hills, the garment favoured by queens. Its M YS OR E S I LK S AR I S on display.

situated towards the southeastern side managing director, P. Vijayan, said

of Mysore, offers a breathtaking view he would request members of the live demonstration of the process at

of the city. It has a temple of Chamun- royal family to give some of the heri- the factory.

deswari, the chosen deity of the My- tage saris to the museum. Mysore silk, which is known for

sore Maharajas. The Chamundeswari He also plans to approach Prin- its elegance, has a double-twisted

temple can be reached by a 13-km road cess Parvatibai of Travancore, who yarn which gives it a grainy effect. It

or by 1,000 steps. Situated near the is said to have a collection of Mysore is lighter than all other silks made in

temple is a statue of Mahishasura, the silks that were inherited from her the country. A typical Mysore silk

mythological demon vanquished by grandmother. The KSIC will buy sari has just one layer of zari run-

Chamundeswari. heritage saris also from others who ning along it and has a simple zari-

Brindavan Gardens, 19 km from have inherited them. filled pallu. The zari has 65 per cent

Mysore, is adjacent to the Krishna Ra- The KSIC conducted vintage sa- silver and 0.65 per cent gold. This is

ja Sagar (KRS) reservoir, built across ri competitions in the past three a standard that has been main-

the Cauvery. The lush green gardens, years. Interestingly enough, it tained since 1912 when Maharaja

the neatly laid-out fountains, includ- found 1,026 classic saris that were Narasimharaja Wodeyar set up his

ing the musically synchronised ones, more than 40 years old and in per- silk factory.

captivate visitors, particularly during fect condition. The oldest one was Sensing the popularity of My-

the evenings when the entire garden is 57 years old and “could be still worn sore silk – dress materials included

illuminated with different-coloured as new”. These will be showcased in – in India and abroad, the KSIC has

lights. the museum. been adding innovative designs to

St. Philomena’s Church, with its Also on exhibition in the mu- its repertoire. It has outlets in Delhi,

twin spires at a height of about 165 feet seum will be photographs featuring Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad and

(50 metres), is built in the Gothic style the cocoon-to-fabric process of cities in Kerala. It plans to give out

of architecture. making Mysore silk. There will be a franchises in other Indian cities.

Some 17 km from Mysore is the



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