Mysore/Mysuru: With the Dasara festival scheduled from Sept. 22 to Oct. 2, District Minister Dr. H.C. Mahadevappa this morning formally extended the State Government’s invitation to Pramoda Devi Wadiyar, member of the erstwhile Mysore Royal Family, at her residence in the Mysore Palace premises.

The invitation was presented traditionally, with the Minister offering the customary ‘phalatamboola’ as part of the ceremonial gesture. Dr. Mahadevappa said he sought Pramoda Devi’s participation and cooperation to ensure the success of Nada Habba, Mysuru’s grand annual festival.

As per tradition, the Minister also presented the royalty cheque given annually by the State Government and discussed with her the royal assets that will be used during the festivities, including the Golden Howdah and other ceremonial paraphernalia.

Accepting the invitation, Pramoda Devi Wadiyar assured the Minister and the District Administration of full cooperation for the smooth conduct of Dasara. She hosted the Minister and officials over tea, where they discussed the finer details of the celebrations.

Speaking to reporters later, Dr. Mahadevappa said Pramoda Devi had given him suggestions on crowd management inside the Mysore Palace on Vijayadashami Day to prevent confusion, and assured that the District Administration will implement them.

The event was attended by several senior officials, including Deputy Commissioner and Dasara Special Officer G. Lakshmikanth Reddy, Additional Deputy Commissioner Dr. P. Shivaraju, City Police Commissioner Seema Latkar, Superintendent of Police N. Vishnuvardhana, Zilla Panchayat CEO S. Yukesh Kumar, DCP K.S. Sundar Raj, Vice-Chairperson of the Guarantee Schemes Implementation Authority Dr. B. Pushpa Amarnath, Dasara Reception Committee Chairperson M.J. Roopa, who is also the Executive Officer of Chamundeshwari Temple Development Authority, and Mysore Palace Board Deputy Director T.S. Subramanya.