Mysuru rings in Dasara, with a simple celebration this year

The annual Nada Habba Dasara is one of the biggest festivals in the city, marked by days of celebrations and plethora of cultural and sporting activities. Although celebrations have been curtailed earlier for reasons such as floods or drought, it has never been scaled down the way it is now owing to the pandemic. This year, CM Yediyurappa announced that the government was releasing a budget of `10 crore for the Dasara celebrations this year.Whereas, on an average, the state spends around `50 crore on Dasara. So, the festival, for which preparations start weeks in advance, is set to be a low-key affair in Mysuru this year. Regular festival attractions like the food mela and sports meet have been done away with this year, to prevent large gatherings that increase the risk of spreading Covid-19.
On Friday, preparations were on at the palace, where a cultural performance is set to take place today. A stage was being erected and it is expected that the CM will be inaugurating the function. Meanwhile, the lead elephant that is set to carry the Golden Howdah during the Jumboo Savari, was seen enjoying a cool shower. This year, Abhimanyu will not be doing the usual procession from Mysore Palace to Bannimantap Torchlight Parade Grounds and will instead be restricted to just the palace. Entry of people will also be restricted in keeping with COVID-19 prevention norms.