Mandya: The historical annual Srirangapatna Dasara festival, a three-day cultural extravaganza, will be celebrated from Sept. 24. Senior writer K. Marulasiddappa is expected to inaugurate the event.

The Mysuru Dasara Committee has allocated Rs. 50 lakh to celebrate the event at Srirangapatna, N. Manjushri, Deputy Commissioner, told a section of the Press. “We are also seeking financial grants from the Departments of Information and Public Relations, Tourism and Kannada and Culture for the event,” she added.

A procession of Goddess Chamundeshwari idol on an elephant, will be taken out from Bannimantap on the outskirts of Srirangapatna to Ranganatha Swamy Temple. Cultural troupes and tableau from across the district will take part.

Stages will be erected near Ranganatha Swamy Temple and other places. Wrestling, folk arts performances, rangoli, marathon and various competitions will be held. Main roads, temples, historical monuments and other places will be illuminated.

Srirangapatna Dasara has a history of over four centuries. It was celebrated as ‘victory parade’ by Raja Wadiyar I who conquered Srirangapatna from Sriranga Raya in 1610. He started the Dasara festivities at Srirangapatna as it was the capital of Mysuru then. Though it was shifted to Mysuru in 1799, the tradition of celebrating Dasara continued in a small way at Srirangapatna till several years ago. It was stopped later, and restarted in 2007.