Mysuru: Mahisha Dasara Celebration Committee, Mysuru, has organised ‘Mahisha Dasara’ on Oct.7 at 12 noon atop Chamundi Hill here.

Disclosing this at a press meet at Pathrakartara Bhavan here yesterday, Sri Jnanaprakash Swamiji of Urilingapeddi Mutt said that MLA Satish Jarkiholi will inaugurate the programme. He further said that as part of the celebration, a rally with a theme ‘Maha Bouddha Bikkhu Mahisha’ would be taken out from Town Hall to Chamundi Hill that day at 10 am.

He added that a seminar on Mahisha will also be held at the Hill top to be inaugurated by writer Banjagere Jayaprakash.

Kannada writer and rationalist K.S. Bhagawan, who spoke, called for pulling down Mahishasura’s demonic statue atop Chamundi Hill portraying him as a demon holding a sword in one hand and a snake in the other. In its place, a statue depicting the “great ruler” Mahishasura as a Buddhist monk should be constructed, he said.

He regretted that the erstwhile Maharajas of Mysuru had constructed the statue of Mahishasura as a demon under the influence of the priestly class.

Arguing that Mahishasura was a follower of the Buddha and he had been wrongly portrayed as a demon, Bhagawan said Mahishasura, according to historical accounts, was a benevolent ruler who stood for humanism and welfare of all sections of society. “If he were to be a demon, why would Mysuru be named after him?” he said.

UoM Professor Mahesh Chandra Guru was present at the press meet.