Celebrate Sri Jayachamaraja Wadiyar’s birth centenary befittingly this Dasara

Mysuru:  Music and cultural programmes are a part of the world famous Dasara celebrations that is hosted every year in this city of Palaces. While the programmes are held in different parts of the city, the most coveted place that any artiste aspires to perform is at the iconic Mysore Palace.

The Dasara Celebration Committee spends lakhs of rupees to invite artistes of repute and ask them to perform at the Mysore Palace but they are, however, given just an hour to perform as a few other artistes are also given a chance to perform here before the well-known ones perform.

This practice of allowing other smaller artistes to perform at the Mysore Palace is something that needs to be done away with and only the artistes of repute must be invited and allowed to perform for the full duration of at least two hours, feel the music Rasikas (aficionados) of the city.

This was the tradition that was followed earlier where internationally renowned singers and musicians like M.S. Subbalakshmi, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Bismillah Khan, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Balamurali Krishna to name a few have performed to full houses at the Durbar Hall and later outside the Palace in the courtyard. Sadly, this tradition has been given a go by and upcoming artistes are being given a chance to perform at the Mysore Palace, said C.R. Himamshu, former Syndicate Member of Karnataka State Dr. Gangubai Hangal Music and Performing Arts University.

JC Wadiyar Birth Centenary

This year’s Dasara celebrations assume a special significance as it coincides with the birth centenary celebrations of the last ruler of Mysore Sri Jayachamaraja Wadiyar. He was one ruler who himself was a music composer of repute and well-versed in both Karnatak and Western music.  Hence, it is befitting that this year the music at the Mysore Palace should not only reverberate with JC Wadiyar’s compositions but also the great artistes who are invited must be allowed to perform for a long time, said Himamshu, who organises the ongoing 8th Cross Ganesha Music Fest.