Dasara back in ful glory in the city of palaces

Subject : Culture

Context: President DroupadiMurmu will launch the 10 day celebrations of the state festival of Karnataka.

Concept :

Dasara is a fulcrum to revive the tourism sector, a major economic driver of the region. Tourism alone generates nearly 80,000 direct jobs in Mysuru and surrounding regions, but it was down in the dumps for two years due to the pandemic.
Despite its religious underpinnings , the festival has also emerged as a platform to showcase the cultural diversity of the State.

Dasara Festival Mysuru

Mysore Dasara is the “Nadahabha” or the state festival of Karnataka. It is celebrated for 10 days and concludes with Vijayadashami.
In Mysuru, Dasara marks the slaying of demon Mahishasura by Goddess Chamundeshwari and symbolises the triumph of good over evil.
The world-famous JambooSavari (Mysore Dasara procession)is held on the street of Mysore city on Vijayadashami. It starts from the Mysore palace and culminates at a place called
The idol of the Goddess chamundeshwari, which is placed on a golden mantapa on the top of a decorated elephant.
Though the festival is celebrated across India, Dasara in Mysuru is a legacy of the Vijayanagar emperors who ruled between the 14 th and 17 th centuries.
The grandeur of the Navaratri as celebrated by the Vijayanagar rulers have been described by medieval travellers like Abdur Razzak of Persia, who visited Vijayanagar between 1442 and 1443; Domingo Paes (1520-22) and FernaoNuniz(1535-37) from Portugal, who have given eyewitness accounts of the ‘’great feast of Bisnaga’ (for Vijayanagar).