Programme details to be presented to CM Siddharamaiah at High-Power Committee meeting in Bengaluru
Mysore/Mysuru: A preliminary Dasara meeting that was held this morning at the office of the Mysuru Palace Board has set the agenda for the 2023 Dasara celebrations.
The meeting was chaired by Deputy Commissioner Dr. K.V. Rajendra and comprised City Police Commissioner Ramesh Banoth, Superintendent of Police Seema Latkar, Zilla Panchayat CEO K.M. Gayathri, Mysuru City Corporation Commissioner G. Lakshmikantha Reddy and Palace Board Deputy Director T.S. Subramanya.
The meeting was called to discuss the preparations for Dasara 2023 and served as a preliminary discussion before the Dasara High Power Committee meeting, scheduled to be chaired by Chief Minister Siddharamaiah in Bengaluru. The High-Power Committee meeting will be held at Vidhana Soudha after the ongoing Assembly session.
This year, the festival will be celebrated from Oct. 15 to Oct. 24 and the grand finale of the festival will be marked by Vijayadashami on Oct. 24. Navarathri celebrations will start from Oct. 15 (Sunday), Ayudha Pooja on Oct. 23 (Monday) and Vijayadashami on Oct. 24 (Tuesday).
Today’s meeting discussed the agenda for the celebrations and the Deputy Commissioner directed the officers to make a detailed presentation on the festivities, its essential components, public festival, exhibitions, Palace festival, dates of inauguration and the VIPs who will participate in the celebrations and the inauguration guest.
The High-Power Committee will discuss the modalities and forms of celebrations along with the regular and traditional practices at the Mysore Palace that have been in force since centuries. The meeting will also finalise on the timings of Dasara inauguration, procession, Nandi Dhwaja puja and Pushpaaarchane and Jumboo Savari timings.
Elephant team
During today’s meeting, officials noted that the Dasara elephants have to be brought to the city three months in advance. Normally, 12 elephants are sourced from various elephant camps and the mahouts, kavadis and their families are accommodated in more than 50 sheds within the Mysore Palace premises.
The elephants undergo training and receive nutritious food to enhance their weight and strength. Traditionally, around 250 to 300 family members and relatives of the elephant keepers reside in the sheds inside the Palace.
The DC asked officials to prepare the minutes of this meeting and present them at the upcoming Dasara High Power Committee meeting. The final decisions regarding the celebration’s arrangements, budget and other aspects like the festival’s organisation, budget, development projects and the scale of the celebrations will be made during the meeting with the CM.
After the High-Power Committee meeting in the State capital, a meeting with the elected representatives of Mysuru, Mysuru City Corporation (MCC), Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) and allied Departments will be held in Mysuru to work out the finer details of the celebrations and implement the decisions taken by the High-Power Committee.
To improve the Dasara procession first prevent all the officials who walk in front of the elephants every year for photo -op .Except the elephant Kavadi , the police personal to guard the Howdah , the MCC cleaners to remove elephant dung and forest officials to dart the elephant if it runs amok, no body else should be seen on the raja marga and the elephants should have a clear path to walk.Will this be implemented from this year needs to be seen.
Mysoreans don’t care about the Dasara procession. The crowd is mostly from outside Mysore. Sorry to say this but Mysore Dasara has become a mediocre event. Even the Mysore Palace doesn’t give a feeling of being in a palace. It looks like some ancient historical monument withering each passing day. Government/concerned authorities should maintain Mysore palace like a palace. The entrance lobby of Radisson Blu hotel (in Mysore) is more plush and royal than the Mysore Palace.
Hotel lobby’s are plush because every week in the night shift the marble floor undergoes polishing and then buffing.Government building only clean their floor by mopping , maybe all offices should now on do polishing and buffing of floors once a month.
Another great opportunity to loot in the name of ‘Nada Habba’.