The budget for this year’s Dasara, which is to be celebrated on a grand scale, has swelled to ₹34.5 crore with the palace board and MUDA chipping in with additional funds over and above the government grant.
While the State has announced ₹15 crore for the festival, an additional ₹4.5 crore has been sanctioned for Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation (CESC) for undertaking illumination of the city. While MUDA will contribute ₹10 crore, the palace board has agreed to provide ₹5 crore for various programmes.
This was stated by Minister for Cooperation S.T. Somashekar, who is also in charge of Mysuru district, here on Saturday.
The Minister was speaking to media persons after holding a meeting with officials on preparations for Dasara, which will be held from September 26 to October 5. The CESC will illuminate 96 circles in the city, besides 124 km stretch of city roads.
In addition, there will be 23 welcome hoardings and the illumination will also depict Puneeth Rajkumar and the new Parliament building which is being constructed in Delhi. On the route of the Jamboo Savari, CESC has been instructed to take up illumination at a height of 22 ft, the Minister said.
Mr. Somashekar also unveiled the Dasara website www.mysoredasara.gov.in and released posters related to Raitha Dasara, Kusti or wrestling and other events.
A team of senior officials and elected representatives will shortly visit Delhi to extend a formal invitation to President Draupadi Murmu who is slated to inaugurate Dasara on September 26 atop Chamundi Hills. The inauguration will take place between 9.45 a.m. and 10.04 a.m., and Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot and Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai will be present.
Though it is common practice to print the official Dasara invitation in Kannada, it will be printed in English this year as the invitation has to be extended to the President, said Mr. Somashekar.
The Dasara executive committee will finalise the list of artistes who will perform during the programme, on Monday, he added. It has been decided to conduct Raitha Dasara from September 23 – ahead of the actual inauguration of the festivities – and rural sports will be held from September 26.
For Dasara cultural programmes it has been decided to conduct 280 events spread over different venues for which over 900 applications have been received. They are being vetted and the final list will be approved by Monday, said Mr. Somashekar.
The main cultural event at the palace will be held from 6 p.m., and one hour each will be accorded to the local artists followed by those with State and national reputation.
Yoga Dasara will be held from September 26 for seven days at seven different venues and senior yoga masters and proponents of the system will be felicitated during the occasion.
The Food Mela will also commence from September 26 while Yuva Dasara will be from September 27 to October 3. The programme on October 1 will be dedicated to Puneeth Rajkumar, and the artistes will render only such songs in which the late actor was featured. Similarly, one day of the Dasara film festival is reserved for Puneeth Rajkumar, said the Minister.
Deputy Commissioner Bagadi Gautham, Commissioner of Police Chandragupta, ZP CEO M.R. Poornima and others were present.
