Mysuru's Famous Dasara Festivities Begin Amid COVID-19 Restrictions
NDTV
The state government has issued guidelines for celebrating the Dasara festival at Mysuru limiting the number of participants to 500 at prominent Dasara events.
The famous 10-day long Dasara festivities commenced in this palace city on Thursday with religious fervour, amid the shadow of COVID-19 pandemic for the second consecutive year. Celebrated as ''Nada Habba'' (state festival), the festivities began with senior political leader and former Chief Minister S M Krishna and Chief Minister B Basavaraj Bommai along with other dignitaries showering flowers on the idol of goddess Chamundeshwari, the presiding deity of Mysuru royals, atop the Chamundi Hill.
Mr Krishna, who had also served as Union External Affairs Minister and Governor of Maharashtra, was chosen by the government for inaugurating the Dasara festivities. Mysuru in-charge and Cooperation Minister S T Somashekar, Revenue Minister R Ashoka, Kannada and Culture Minister V Sunil Kumar,
Religious Endowments, Wakf and Haj Minister Shashikala Jolle and Mysuru MP Pratap Simha were among others present at the inaugural. With COVID-19 pandemic casting a shadow, the government had decided to organise the 412th Dasara festivities in a "simple" way, by and large restricting it to keep up with the traditions. The 10-day event that every year showcases Karnataka's cultural heritage resplendent with folk art forms and attracts large crowds and tourists, has been scaled down for the second consecutive year due to COVID-19.
The Mysuru administration has restricted people at most of the events and has arranged for live telecasts.
