Mysore/Mysuru:  The State Government has decided to restrict the entry of visitors to the Mysore Palace to watch the grand Dasara procession on Oct. 2 in the wake of the tragedy where 11 youths died in the stampede that occurred at the stadium in Bengaluru during RCB team’s IPL cricket victory celebrations on June 4, 2025.

Accordingly, only 48,000 spectators will be allowed entry to the Palace on Oct. 2. This number is over 11,000 less than that of the previous years, when 59,000 people were allowed inside the Palace on the D-day.

Deputy Commissioner (DC) G. Lakshmikanth Reddy, who is also the Dasara Special Officer, said that following the Bengaluru stampede, the State Government has come up with SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) for large-sale gatherings, events, conventions, processions  etc., where lakhs of people gather, as a safety and security measure.

Pointing out that lakhs of people will gather for the world famous Jumboo Savari procession, he said that as per the SOP, only 48,000 seats will be arranged inside the Palace premises for watching Dasara spectacle.

“Last year, as many as 59,000 people were allowed inside the Palace to witness the grand procession of caparisoned Dasara elephants accompanied by cultural troupes and tableaux. But as the SOP will be in place this year, it has been decided to make arrangements for only 48,000 seats as a crowd control measure, considering the safety and security of tourists and visitors who throng Mysuru during Dasara festival,” Reddy noted.

Stating that the modalities for all Dasara activities is being worked out, the DC said, as in the past, the online sale of Dasara Gold Cards will commence in a fortnight. The sale figures  will be updated regularly for the benefit of tourists, he added.