Dasara-2024 row: Year on, priests await Rs. 50,000 honorarium

Mysuru: A team of priests, who had participated in Nada Habba Mysuru Dasara-2024 related rituals, have written to the Chief Secretary of the State Government, seeking the release of honorarium of Rs. 50,000 pending payment for one year.

Priest H.S. Rakesh, the complainant, has written the letter also to the Secretary of Muzrai Department, Mysuru-Kodagu MP Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, Deputy Commissioner of Mysuru and Secretary of Sri Chamundeshwari Temple Development Authority.

During Jumboo Savari – 2024, Kannada and Culture Department, had deputed a team of priests, along with six cultural troupes to accompany the Utsava Murti of Goddess Chamundeshwari, taken out in a procession from Chamundeshwari temple atop the Hill to Mysore Palace. Honorarium was fixed to each of seven troupes, with the instructions given to Chamundeshwari Authority to pay the honorarium.

The authorities had decided to spend Rs. 2 lakh on the procession of Utsava Murti, by fixing the honorarium as follows; Rs. 25,000 for each of the two troupes of Veerabhadra Kunita, consisting of 10 artistes, Rs. 25,000 for a troupe of Chande artistes, Rs. 25,000 for Nadaswara artistes troupe, Rs. 25,000 for saxophone troupe, Rs. 25,000 for Puja Kunita troupe and Rs. 50,000 for a team of priests.

This post was published on October 12, 2025 7:40 pm