The grand Mysuru Dasara celebration, which just concluded, has energised the tourism sector which had not fully recovered from the devastating impact of the COVID pandemic. The two back-to-back years of subdued celebrations affected the tourism industry as Dasara, the annual spectacle, is a platform for boosting footfall that support the people dependent on the sector for their livelihood.
The fest this year gave employment to many with a slew of events conducted over the last 10 days, bringing back the past glory.
Mammoth crowds descended on the city to experience the finale – Jamboo Savari - which is the focal point of the festivities.
“I had not seen crowds like this in the past several years. The low-key festivities in the last two years stopped them from coming to Mysuru. With grandeur returning, the people thronged the city to be part of the celebrations,” said a senior official, who was involved in the arrangements.
The big question is how many turned up to Mysuru for Jamboo Savari? While the stakeholders feel tens of thousands of people watched the spectacle, lakhs of tourists visited Mysuru over the last 10 days for Dasara. “Around 15 lakh people saw the finale on Wednesday,” claimed Minister in charge of Mysuru district S.T. Somashekar on Thursday.
While there is no parameter to assess the number of people who watched the finale at the palace and on the 5-km long procession route till Bannimantap, the turnout was indeed one of the largest in recent years and the reason is obvious – two years of subdued celebrations. “People were missing Dasara and this year they got back what they wanted,” according to the stakeholders.
Revenge tourism made its presence felt in Mysuru during the celebrations considering the rush the city witnessed over the past 10 days. “Mysureans are new to traffic jams. This year, the jams were relatively more. This gives credence that there was a revenge tourism,” said a senior officer.
The hotels saw 100 per cent occupancy and the post-Dasara rush has continued as the places of tourist importance continue to remain crowded. The palace, zoo and Chamundi Hills were among the places that witnessed heavy rush since morning. With the holiday season continuing, footfall is likely to remain steady at least over the next one week.
