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Dasara 2017: 10-day Dasara cultural extravaganza begins in Mysuru

By Deepika
|
Google Oneindia News

It's that time of the year again when all eyes turn towards the erstwhile kingdom of the Wadiyars, Mysuru.

Renowned poet K S Nissar Ahmad inaugurated the ten-day festivities by offering puja to presiding deity Chamundeshwari in the auspicious Tula Lagna at Chamundi hill at 9.25 am atop Chamundi Hill on Thursday. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, District Minister H C Mahadevappa and others accompanied him on the occasion.

Renowned poet K S Nissar Ahmad offering puja to presiding deity Chamundeshwari

Rituals

The Dasara celebrations begin on the first day only after worshipping the Goddess on the first day of the ten day long celebrations. The rituals at Chamundi hills started from 4 am on Thursday. The priests will give ceremonial bath to Chamundeshwari idol and will decorate the goddess with silk saree and colourful flowers in a silver chariot. On each day of Dasara, Goddess Chamundi is worshipped in her different forms.

Private Darbar

The khasa (private) durbar by Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, the scion of the erstwhile royal family, will be held between 12.45 pm and 12.55 pm at Mysore Palace. Yaduveer will perform various rituals in the presence of his wife Trishika Kumari and mother Pramoda Devi Wadiyar.

Mysore is the only state that is being into much focus as it is believed to get the name from the demon Mahisasura. This festival is much awaited among the people as it is celebrated just 10 days earlier Navaratri.

The city comes alive with music and dance shows, cultural performances, wrestling tournaments and also a grand exhibition that is held in the exhibition grounds opposite to the Mysore Palace, which was started by the Maharaja of Mysore Chamaraja Wodeyar X way back in 1880.

How is it celebrated?

The highlight of the festivities is the 10-day Mysore Dasara festival in the Mysore Palace. The entire palace is decorated with about 100,000 light bulbs that illuminate and brighten the sky from 7 P.M to 10 P.M on each day of the festival. Many cultural and religious programs, song and dance performances are also organised in front of the palace.

A Festival of Royal Origin

This magnificent festival is celebrated in Karnataka for more than 400 years. The very first celebrations were started by the Vijayanagar Kings in the 15th century. According to the legends, in the ancient times, the city of Mysore was ruled by the Mahishasura, a buffalo-headed demon king. In his kingdom, he punished the people who worshipped the Gods. The Gods then sought the help of the Goddess Parvati, who incarnated in earth as Chamundeshwari Devi. She fought a very brutal battle with the demon and in the end, slew him on top of the Chamundi Hill situated near the city. After killing Mahishasura, the Goddess decided to stay on the hill. Therefore, the hill and city are known as Chamundi Hill and Mysore respectively. The ten day long festival is held in the honor of the Goddess Chamundeshwari.

Mysuru Dasara- An awe-inspiring spectacle to behold

This grand festival of Karnataka fills the people with great enthusiasm and happiness. The Mysore Palace is illuminated with the lights that captivate the attention of the people. The celebration of the festival generally starts with the royal couple of the palace offering a special puja in the Chamundi Temple, perched on the top of Chamundi Hill. After the puja is over, a special royal assembly is organized inside the palace.

The main highlights of the festival are beautifully decorated elephants, camels and horses walking together in a procession. During the process, the idol of the Goddess Chamundeshwari is installed on a golden mantapa (a temple made up from wood, steel, gold or silver). The mantapa is placed on the top of an elephant. Vibrant music bands and people take part in the procession that ends in an enchanting destination known as Bannimantap. Here, the royal couples worship the 'Bann' tree.

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