The Dasara celebrations concluded on Tuesday with the grandiose Jamboo Savari or the Vijayadashami procession that marks the finale of the 10-day festivities being watched by a sea of humanity in the city of palaces.
All roads lead to Mysuru for the royal spectacle with scores of people descending on the city to witness the culmination of Navarathri celebrations or the Nada Habba (State festival). The city had come alive with a slew of events hosted across the city, representing the art, culture and tradition of the land. The Jamboo Savari being the highlight of the celebrations for which people flooded the city to glimpse the grandeur.
The 10-day cultural extravaganza of Mysuru Dasara-2023 came to a close with an impressive procession on ‘Raja Marga’ of Mysuru even as crowds turned up in mammoth numbers to witness the iconic finale.
The palace vicinity was jam-packed and the number of people exceeded the number of passes issued for the finale. The procession route from the palace to Bannimantap was also overcrowded.
The procession began after the customary Nandi Dhwaja puja that was performed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, outside the Kote Anjaneyaswamy Temple at the Jayarama Gate of the palace, around 1.45 p.m. A group of people from Udigala’s Sri Gowrishankara Nandidwaja Sangha carried the Dwaja.
Mr. Siddaramaiah, who arrived in a KSRTC Airavat bus with Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakmar and his Cabinet colleagues, waved at the large crowds standing at the Chamaraja Circle to glimpse the procession. He and others later went in an open jeep to the palace to flag off the procession.
Artists from Tumakuru carrying 108 Nandi Dhwaja were the first to hit the procession route as they were cheered by the crowds amidst loud music. They belonged to the Sri Gurusiddarameshwara Sene. This was followed by Veerabhadra Kunita by the Veeragase artists.
The colourful cultural pageantry unfolded thereafter starting with the majestic march by the caparisoned Nishane elephants led by veteran Arjuna, and comprising Bheema, Gopi, Mahendra, Dhananjaya and Prashanth.
There were tableaux from 31 districts besides the representations from the tableaux committee and various government departments and institutions. In total, the procession had 150 participants, including tableaux and diverse cultural troupes drawn from various parts of the State.
Though there were repetitions of the cultural art forms, the crowds enjoyed as the music of drums and other instruments reverberated the palace and its surroundings.
Kombu Kahale, Dollu Kunita, Jhanz Pathak, Somana Kunita, Garudi Gombe, Navilu Kunita, Goravara Kunita, Karadi Majalu, Halage Mela, Lambani dance, Donnevarase, Puja Kunita, Kamsale, Koli Nrrthya were among the cultural troupes that kept the audience charmed.
This year, the quality and workmanship of tableaux that were part of the procession was good. The tableaux included the Congress government’s guarantee schemes like Gruha Lakshmi, Gruha Jyothi, and a tableau that portrayed all guarantee schemes. The crowds cheered as these tableaux entered the procession route.
Vijayanagar district’s Hampi – the world heritage site; Belagavi’s tableau on Rani Chennamma of Kittur, Chamarajanagar tableau portraying that the district is a land of tigers and folk arts forms; the famous Dharwad Peda, a sweet, by the Dharwad district; the places of tourist importance by Kodagu, Koppal’s Kinnala art form and handlooms were among the tableaux that were impressive. Mandya’s tableau depicted the life of a sugarcane farmer with the art form showing transportation of sugarcane in a bullock cart and the jaggery making was striking.
Mysuru had an imposing tableau on the contributions of Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar.
The most-awaited moment arrived as the stately tusker Abhimanyu entered the procession grandly carrying the 750 kg golden howdah with the ‘utsava murthi’ of Goddess Chamundeshwari, flanked by Vijaya and Varalakshmi elephants, receiving a thunderous cheer.
The Chief Minister flagged off the Jamboo Savari, showering flower petals on the idol from an elevated platform in front of the palace around 5 p.m. This was followed by a 21-cannon salute that reverberated in the palace vicinity as Abhimanyu raised its trunk as a mark of respect.
Mr. Shivakumar, Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, the scion of erstwhile Mysuru royal family, Mayor Shivakumar, Minister in-charge of Mysuru district H.C. Mahadevappa, Kannada and Culture Minister Shivaraj Tangadagi, Deputy Commissioner K.V. Rajendra, Police Commissioner B Ramesh, who were present, also showered flowers on the idol.
This year, with the aim of reviving the bygone traditions, people dressed in traditional attire carried the royal symbols and insignias, before the Ambari elephant.
