Mysuru Dasara’s grand finale: Jamboo Savari marks end of 10-day festivities

The grand spectacle of Mysuru’s iconic Vijayadashami procession is captivating the city of palaces today, marking the grand finale of the 10-day-long ‘Mysuru Dasara’ festivities. Known as ‘Nada Habba’ (the state festival), the celebration of Dasara, or ‘Sharan Navaratri’, has been an extravagant affair this year, showcasing Karnataka’s rich cultural heritage, royal traditions, and grandeur.
A festive atmosphere has enveloped Mysuru, as thousands of people gather to witness the magnificent ‘Jamboo Savari’, the highlight of the celebrations.
The procession, led by a dozen caparisoned elephants, is set to feature ‘Abhimanyu’, the majestic elephant carrying the idol of Goddess Chamundeshwari, the presiding deity of Mysuru and its royal lineage. Perched on a gold-plated howdah, weighing 750 kg, the goddess will be paraded through the streets, recalling the splendor of Mysuru’s royal past.
 
The grand procession began with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah along with Deputy CM D K Shivakumar offering pooja to the ‘Nandi Dhwaja’ (Nandi Flag) from the imposing Amba Vilas Palace premises, at the auspicious Makara Lagna between 1.41 pm to 2.10 pm at the Balarama gate of the palace, PTI reported.
After offering pooja to Nandi Dhwaja, Siddaramaiah greeted the people on the occasion of Vijayadashami.
The procession consisting of a number of artists’ or cultural groups and tableaux from various districts, depicting its regional culture and heritage, will be covering a distance of about five kms before culminating at Bannimantapa.
Tableaux from government departments, depicting various schemes or programmes and social messages, are also part of the procession, with people in large numbers lining up along the procession route, hours before it starts.
The chief minister and other dignitaries, including erstwhile Mysuru royal family scion Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar and Shivakumar will then flag off the procession of caparisoned elephants by showering flowers on the idol Chamundeshwari, placed in a Howdah, at an auspicious Kumbha Lagna around 4 pm.
Following the customs, 21 shots will be fired from the cannons, as elephant Abhimanyu carrying the goddess in Howdah, flanked by ‘Kumki’ elephants will arrive at the specially erected dais, from where the CM will offer flowers.
The Dasara procession is held on “Vijayadashami” day, signifying the victory of good over evil.
During the days of yore, the king would sit in the howdah accompanied by his brother and nephew. Sri Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar was the last royal King of Mysuru to ride in howdah.
The tradition of the Dasara procession continues to this day but now, instead of kings, the idol of the presiding deity of the Mysuru city, Goddess Chamundeshwari, is taken in procession in the howdah. The core of the 750-kg howdah is said to be wood, but is covered with 80 kg of gold.
At the palace, keeping up with the traditions, the royal scion Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, dressed in grand attire, took out the ‘Vijaya Yatra’ from Amba Vilas Palace till Bhuvaneshwari Devi temple, within the premises, where he performed special pooja to ‘Shami’ tree on Saturday.
Ahead of this, ‘Vajramushti Kalaga’, a special duel between ‘Jetties’ (wrestlers) armed with a ‘Vajramushti’ or a knuckle-duster, was also part of the celebrations at the palace on Saturday, in which Jetties from various parts of the state participated.
Festivities have doubled for the erstwhile royal family as Trishika Kumari Devi, wife of Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, who is also Mysore-Kodagu MP, gave birth to their second child – a baby boy – at a private hospital in Mysuru on Friday.
(Also Read: Mysuru decked up for gombe habba, Dasara; Check out these vibrant visuals of the palace city)
(With PTI, ANI inputs)