Sir,

This is regarding KBG’s Abracadabra titled “Welcome to Grand Dasara” in SOM dated Aug. 28. I have been in Mysuru for the last 25 years of my life, and I have come to love the beautiful city that it is.

Mysuru, today, for me, is an emotion in more ways than one and the fact that Dasara is an indispensable part of it makes it all the more heavenly.

Because of our ‘world famous Dasara’ (yes, we should take pride in this), every year, there is a massive influx of tourists, domestic and international, into the city. However, the problem is, that the city is not equipped enough to cater to the growing number of tourists every year.

Of course, there are really good restaurants, and hotels, and the city itself is so welcoming that everybody feels at home, but it gets very crowded especially during Ayudha Puja and Vijayadashami that it is almost impossible to go around the city without getting stuck in traffic for hours.

It almost turns into Bengaluru during Dasara, and the rains make it worse. The bad roads never help. Mysureans would rather stay at home than get stuck somewhere.

If the problem of traffic and parking near major tourist attractions could be addressed, it would make Dasara even more enjoyable. Traffic rules go for a toss, and this creates more problems. Two-wheelers haphazardly manoeuvre their way, and this goes unchecked every year. 

A proper push (with some incentives, perhaps) should be given to the use of city buses to avoid personal cars on the roads. This reduces so much traffic.

Even if people wish to walk around, there should be enough manpower to make sure it is not disrupted. Private vehicles should not be allowed to go too close to major spots like the Palace and the Zoo, and the use of public transport should be encouraged. Taking selfies and pictures during illumination has been trending over the last few years, and this should be kept under control.

Dasara has something for everyone, and it should be a memorable affair, and it could only be one when the aforementioned issues are addressed. 

Going forward, regardless of whether we like it or not, the city will expand, and these problems have to be expediently addressed lest we turn Mysuru into another Bengaluru.

– Sindhu Nagaraj, Mysuru, 28.8.2022

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