Karnataka Government Plans New Shape for Mysuru Dasara Celebrations

Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar announced on Saturday that the state government plans to give a new shape to the Mysuru Dasara celebrations, introducing new innovations and events to align the festival with changing times.

Speaking to reporters, the Chief Minister said he had already held preliminary discussions regarding the upcoming festivities with Mysuru Deputy Commissioner G Lakshmikanth Reddy and senior officials from the Department of Kannada and Culture. A follow-up meeting is scheduled to be held soon to finalise the plans.

The state government intends to balance tradition with contemporary ideas. While the historical customs of Dasara will continue, prominence will be given to concepts from the new generation. Proposed additions include portraying the country's defence forces, making the traditional torchlight parade more innovative, and upgrading the city illumination.

To enhance cultural participation, the state government has reached out to the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce to facilitate the inclusion of Sandalwood artistes in a dedicated tableau during the Dasara procession. Artistes from the Kannada film industry had participated in earlier editions of the procession before the practice was discontinued.

The Chief Minister also outlined measures to elevate the quality of the procession. The administration plans to avoid the repetition of folk art forms and performances by the same artistes year after year to maintain high standards. Additionally, the practice of Dasara committee members marching along in the procession will be discontinued.

Addressing calls from some quarters to scale down Dasara due to prevailing drought conditions, the Chief Minister clarified that the scale of the celebrations would not be reduced. He noted that a large number of people depend on the local tourism and hospitality sectors for their livelihood. Since stakeholders in the hotel and tourism industries benefit from the festival, they have been asked to assist the district administration in making the events more attractive.

Regarding other traditional events, the Chief Minister confirmed that Kambala will be held during Dasara without causing harm to the environment. He noted that discussions would take place to ensure that trees are not cut and water is not wasted, considering alternatives to conducting the event in agricultural fields.