The heritage tonga ride organised by the Department of Archaeology Museums and Heritage evoked good response and 52 couples took part in it.
The heritage tonga ride was open only to married couple and they had to be clad in traditional attire. The Minister for Tourism and Parliamentary Affairs H.K. Patil who flagged off the heritage tonga ride, said that if Mysuru was a renowned tourist destination and drew visitors from all over the world, the credit should go to the maharajas.
He said the maharajas of Mysuru were instrumental in carrying forward the legacy of the Navaratri celebrations that used to be conducted by the kings of the Vijayanagar empire. The Mysuru maharajas showcased to the world the grandeur and glory of Dasara and helped spread its fame all over the world, the Minister added.
Mr. Patil said Dasara was not confined to or limited to Mysuru or Karnataka alone and its fame and grandeur was known universally. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Minister for Social Welfare H.C. Mahadevappa have taken special interest in the conduct of Dasara which is the festival of all Kannadigas, Mr. Patil added.
Earlier, the couple were presented with the traditional baagina by the Minister, Commissioner of Archaeology Department A. Devaraj, Mysuru Mayor Shivakumar, Joint Director of Tourism Savitha Sunil Bose, Dasara Exhibition Authority Chief Excecutive Officer Rajesh B. Gowda, and others.
The heritage tonga ride is part of the three activities launched by the Department of Archaeology in connection with Dasara. While the heritage cycle ride was conducted on Thursday, the heritage walk will take place on Saturday.
The heritage tonga ride is an exploration of the city heritage and sites and entails a drive along the core heritage area of the city that covers palace, Chamaraja circle, K.R. Circle, Lansdowne building, Jaganmohan Palace, Old DC office, railway station, K.R. hospital, Cauvery Emporium, Gandhi Square before terminating at the starting point at Town Hall.
The Joint Director of Archaeology Department Ms. C.N. Manjula said they had restricted the registration to the first 50 couples and took an additional two more subsequently. The event had generated tremendous interest and inquiries continued to be made but request for participation was turned down due to logistic issues. While the couple were clad in traditional attire, the department provided them with the traditional Mysuru Petha or head gear, she added.
