Srirangapatna: The four-day Srirangapatna Dasara began with grandeur in the historic Island-Fort town of Srirangapatna in Mandya district yesterday. The opening day of the festival was highlighted by the spectacular Jumboo Savari procession.

The procession was launched at Bannimantap, near Kirangur Circle on the Mysuru-Bengaluru Highway, at 3.40 pm. A team of priests led by Dr. Bhanuprakash Sharma performed the traditional Bannipooja and associated rituals before the procession commenced.

Thousands of devotees gathered along both sides of the road, filling every available space, to witness the showering of petals on the idol of Goddess Chamundeshwari atop the Ambari-carrying elephant Mahendra, accompanied by the chanting of Vedic hymns.

This marked the fourth time Mahendra carried the Ambaari during the Srirangapatna Dasara.

The majestic elephant was flanked by Kumki elephants Lakshmi and Kaveri, who walked alongside with grace and poise.

The grand procession covered over 4 km in three hours, passing through Kirangur, Baburayanakoppalu, Mysuru-Bengaluru Road, Kuvempu Circle, Town Municipal Office Circle, Main Street (Mukhya Beedhi), and Ambedkar Street, before culminating at the famed Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple around 6.40 pm.

A host of folk and cultural troupes, along with vibrant tableaux, accompanied the procession, adding colour and vibrancy to the celebrations. Cultural programmes followed later in the day at the temple grounds.

The procession was inaugurated by film director T.S. Nagabharana, who showered petals on the idol of Goddess Chamundeshwari atop Mahendra.

The event was attended by Mandya District Minister N. Cheluvarayaswamy, MLAs Ramesh Babu Bandisiddegowda, P. Ravikumar Ganiga, former MLA Vijayalakshmi

Bandisiddegowda, Mandya DC Dr. Kumara and other dignitaries.