Six sub-committees instituted
The Hindu
The sub-committees are limited this year with the festivities being simple like last year in view of pandemic; they have been constituted for procession, illumination, cultural events, tableau, cleanliness and arrangements and reception
A day after elephants arrived in Mysuru for the low-key Dasara celebrations from their jungle camps, the district administration on Tuesday constituted six Dasara sub-committees for organising and overseeing the festivities, which, like last year, have been scaled down in view of the pandemic.
The festivities will begin atop Chamundi Hills on October 7 and conclude on October 15. This year, the Jamboo Savari on the finale will be confined to the palace premises.
Deputy Commissioner Bagadi Gautham, who is the Dasara Special Officer, issued an order constituting the six sub-committees with each of them consisting of a deputy special officer, a working president and a secretary. They have been constituted for Dasara procession, illumination, reception and invitation, cultural events, cleanliness and arrangements and tableau. They have to function under the purview of the Dasara High-power Committee and the Dasara Executive Committee.
Hampi, the UNESCO-recognised historical site, was the capital of the Vijayanagara empire from 1336 to 1565. Foreign travellers from Persia, Europe and other parts of the world have chronicled the wealth of the place and the unique cultural mores of this kingdom built on the banks of the Tungabhadra river. There are fine descriptions to be found of its temples, farms, markets and trading links, remnants of which one can see in the ruins now. The Literature, architecture of this era continue inspire awe.
Unfurling the zine handed to us at the start of the walk, we use brightly-coloured markers to draw squiggly cables across the page, starting from a sepia-toned vintage photograph of the telegraph office. Iz, who goes by the pronouns they/them, explains, “This building is still standing, though it shut down in 2013,” they say, pointing out that telegraphy, which started in Bengaluru in 1854, was an instrument of colonial power and control. “The British colonised lands via telegraph cables, something known as the All Red Line.”
The festival in Bengaluru is happening at various locations, including ATREE in Jakkur, Bangalore Creative Circus in Yeshwantpur, Courtyard Koota in Kengeri, and Medai the Stage in Koramangala. The festival will also take place in various cities across Karnataka including Tumakuru, Ramanagara, Mandya, Kolar, Chikkaballapura, Hassan, Chitradurga, Davangere, Chamarajanagar and Mysuru.