Mysore/Mysuru: Get set for a grand Dasara 2022 illumination where brightly lit main thoroughfares of the Central Business District — that form the core heritage zone, commercial hubs, important roads, circles and junctions — and a 110-km radius of major streets of Mysuru will behold tourists.
The Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation (CESC) is set to spend more than Rs. 5 crore on the illumination as the Government has already announced that it will be a grand Dasara after two years of subdued celebrations.
Last year, CESC illuminated 100 kilometres of the Mysuru radius and this year, it is adding 10 more kilometres. The illumination had brought tourists from far and wide and this one move had spurred tourist arrivals and the hospitality industry too saw a big boost in occupancy rates.
What tourist footfall was not achieved in the COVID pandemic period was achieved through last year’s illumination. In 2020, only a 50-km area was illuminated and in 2021, it was extended to 100 kms. Last year, the illumination began in the first week of October and due to demand, the illumination was extended till Oct. 24, days after the festival concluded.
“This year, we are planning a mega illumination task and over Rs. 5 crore has been set aside. We have got a green signal from the State Government that it will be a full-fledged and grand Dasara. So we are gearing up,” CESC General Manager (Purchase) K.M. Munigopalaraju told Star of Mysore this morning.
The focus of this year’s illumination will be late Kannada actor Power Star Dr. Puneeth Rajkumar and his cut-outs and action poses will be an integral part. “This Dasara the illumination task will be on the lines of Durga Puja in Kolkata and will also follow the pattern that was practised during the time of Maharajas,” he noted.
“So far, CESC has earned appreciation from the public, hoteliers and tourism stakeholders and tourists per se for illuminating Mysuru for the last five to six years. We are targeting to spend at least 10,000 to 12,000 units of electricity per day,” he added.
Royalty was abolished soon after independence. Still JC Wadiyar carried on with his Durbar as if nothing happened, the Congress governments at the Centre and at the State allowed him to carry out that Jamboree , as this brought income to the state.
Now, all that is left is to celbrate this as some kind of Habba, these days spreading more Covid infections and spreading it too the the rest of the world, as rich Mysoreans fattened with briberies take to visit the foreign lands to launder their ill-gotten cash.
It will be a different Dasara, with 2 years, as the expanded Mysore airport will bring in Gulf States resident Malayalees-most of them indulge in gold smuggling, through non-stop UAE-Mysore Emirates A320 flights, which Narendra Modi assured them during a recent stop over in UAE.
You will then see Dasara as the Hubba of illegal gold smuggling and distribution, Hawala channel transaction s etc.. These Malaylaee criminal Gangs in UAE are so rich, there should be no surprise, if they want to buy this Palace!
For now, enjoy the pretend Wadiyar Yaduveer ( he is just an Urs , given the title by Paramoda Devi, who is just a rich land lady!), ascending the golden Throne ( this throne was redesigned and reconstructed when JC Wadiyar entrusted the task to a goldsmith who took most of the diamonds and rubies away with him, that was in 1940s. JC Wadiyar did this against the advice of palace officials. This tory was well known in 1950s.), climbing the steps to the throne in a private room watched by 20 on lookers! Only Gouri Satya and Ballal will be proud of this silly event now!
The author Girija Madhavan who writes her childhood stories etc.. of those days when Dasara was celebrated with much pomp, describing about her visits to Devaraja Market shops in the front, has so far not produced a single photograph of the Exhibition building which was the building of the Mysore medical college those days, which was decorated with lights, during Dasara and its stalls full of people. She has not so far produced even a single photograph of the grand Jamboo Savari procession, , where JC Wadiyar sat on the howdha atop a tall elephant richly decorated , and various military bands preceding him in the procession.
Strange too , when Gouri Satya writes about the glorious Wadiyar days, no such photographs are produced.