Extended illumination, weekend contribute to crowding in Mysuru
Mysuru: Tourist footfall in Mysuru has remained high even after the Dasara festivities with the extended illumination and the coming weekend expected to draw more visitors.
Many tourists who came to witness the Jumboo Savari have stayed back to enjoy the extended illumination and visit the Dasara Exhibition Grounds. They are also arriving in large numbers to see the illuminated streets. The city’s illumination will continue for 10 days beyond the original schedule.
Mysuru Zoo, Mysore Palace and Chamundi Hill continue to attract visitors, while tourist destinations around the city, including Srirangapatna, KRS Dam and Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary, have also seen visitors after Dasara. The continued footfall has brought cheer to those in the tourism sector.
Palace visitors
Mysore Palace recorded 1,24,266 visitors between Oct. 11 and 22. The Palace remained closed on Oct. 20 for Ayudha Puja and Oct. 21 for Vijayadashami. It was also closed for half a day on Oct. 5 when the Golden Throne was assembled.
Of the total visitors, 98,148 were adults, 16,448 children and 8,733 students. The count also included 919 foreign tourists and 18 foreign children.
The highest single-day footfall was recorded on Oct. 18, when 17,969 people visited the Palace, followed by Oct. 19, which saw 16,378 visitors.
Chamundi Hill
More than 6.60 lakh devotees visited Chamundi Hill for free darshan between Oct. 11 and 21, according to M.J. Roopa, Secretary of the Chamundeshwari Kshetra Development Authority. The figure included around 3,000 VIP visitors.
The highest turnout was recorded on Kalaratri night, when more than one lakh devotees visited the hill shrine. During the 11 days, daily footfall ranged from 70,000 to 80,000 devotees.
KRS Dam
Krishna Raja Sagara (KRS) Dam in Mandya district received an average of 10,000 visitors a day between Oct. 11 and 21. Entry was made free from Oct. 14.
KRS Dam and Brindavan Gardens are major tourist attractions and draw large number of visitors every year. The waiver of entry fees from Oct. 14 coincided with increased visitor movement during Dasara holidays.
This post was published on October 23, 2026 7:30 pm