Droupadi Murmu to inaugurate Mysuru Dasara today

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In 1990, then president R Venkataraman had participated but did not inaugurate Mysuru Dasara. In 1988, then vice-president Shankar Dayal Sharma also participated.

In 1988 and 1989, the then governor of Karnataka, P Venkatasubbaiah, had inaugurated the festival. Since then, no governor has participated in the inaugural programme and this year Governor of Karnataka Thawar Chand Gehlot will be participating in the event.

Speaking to Indian Express, RG Narasimha Iyengar who was Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) mayor in 1985 recalled that then president Zail Singh had visited Mysuru during Dasara celebrations. Though he did not inaugurate Dasara celebrations he was here in city on Vijaya Dashami day.

Zail Singh had come down to Mysuru to attend few other events which included laying foundation for Mayura Hotel complex and there was an event at JSS. He offered floral tributes to Godess Chamundeshwari on Vijaya Dashami day to kick start the grand procession.

Usually, chief ministers participate in the procession which is held on Vijaya Dashami and not the inaugural event. In 1995, H D Devegowda participated in the inauguration and since then no one has attended. From 2008, then chief minister B S Yediyurappa participated in the event for three years.

Later, chief ministers D V Sadananda Gowda, Jagadeesh Shettar, Siddaramaiah, and H D Kumaraswamy participated in Mysuru Dasara. Bommai will be participating for the second time as the Karnataka Chief Minister.

Previously, the district in-charge minister inaugurated Dasara festivities but later, scientists, poets, artists, and other personalities opened the festival. In 2016, poet and author Chennaveera Kanavi, in 2017 K S Nisar Ahmed, in 2018 Infosys foundation chief Sudha Murthy, in 2019, writer S L Bhyrappa, in 2020 Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research director Dr C N Manjunath, and in 2021, former Union minister S M Krishna inaugurated the event.

Mysuru Dasara, which has more than 400 years of history, is celebrated to mark the local deity Goddess Chamundeshwari’s victory over Mahishasura. Dasara is celebrated for nine days and on the tenth day of Vijaya Dashami, a grand procession is held. The procession starts from Mysuru’s Amba Vilas Palace, where the Mysuru royal family lives, and ends at Bannimantap with 12 elephants, with one carrying the mammoth 750 kg idol of Goddess Chamundeshwari.