Dussehra in Mysore - Ten Days of Royal Retreat With Lights, Celebrations, Shopping, and Food

Dussehra is celebrated across the country with a lot of zest and zeal. What is so special about Mysore Dussehra or Mysuru Dasara as the people in south call it? Similar to the Durga Puja in Kolkata, Ganesh Chaturthi in Maharashtra, the Mysuru Dasara is a statewide celebration for the people of Karnataka. It is a 400-year-old rich tradition that the people of Karnataka have been practising since generations. The Mysore Dussehra festival dates back to 15th Century A.D. in South India when the Vijayanagar Dynasty began celebrating the ten-day festival. If you’re planning to visit Mysore during this festive season to witness the grandeur of Dussera, we recommend you book a taxi to explore all parts of the city during the festival.

Celebration Of Goddess Chamundeshwari’s Victory Over Evil

Started as a royal affair by the royal family and its darbar, today the Dussehra festival is open to everyone. The Dussehra festival in Mysore is celebrated to worship Goddess Chamundeshwari who killed the demon King Mahishasura at Chamundi Hills near Mysore. According to traditional folklore, demon King Mahishasura ill-treated all his subjects and even killed them during his reign. To put an end to his evil deeds, Goddess Chamundeshwari took human form and killed him after a fierce battle at the Chamundi Hills. It is said that after winning over the evil demon Goddess, Chamundeshwari stayed in the hill thereafter. Hence, the hill and the city got the names Chamundi hills and Mysuru.

The Royal Family Celebrations and The Exhibit

To celebrate the victory of good over evil and to praise the glory of goddess Chamundeshwari, people in Mysore celebrate Dussehra which is also called as Navarathri or Nadahabba. The festival begins with the Royal Couple from the Wodeyar Royal family of Mysore Palace performing special puja at the Chamundeshwari Temple in the Chamundi Hills. After this special puja, the Royal Family organises the Darbar or Assembly inside the Mysore Palace. During the nine days of the festival, there are numerous traditional dance performances, film festivals, music concerts not only inside the palace but also in various parts of the city. In the ground opposite to the Mysore Palace, a magnificent Dussehra exhibition is organised every year with stalls to purchase a variety of things like jewellery, handicrafts, ornaments, traditional dresses, etc. If you’d like to spend the day in Mysore, we recommend you book a cab with Savaari Car Rentals for a comfortable way to get around the city.

Vijayadashami Day Celebrations and The Torchlight Parade

On the tenth day, Vijayadashami day, the Goddess idol is placed in a beautifully decorated golden mantapa. The huge procession of colourfully and florally decorated elephants, camels, and horses along with a huge gathering of worshippers and vibrant music bands is a magnificent sight to witness. The procession starts from the Mysore Palace with the Royal couple and ends at Bannimantap, where the Royal couples pray to the “Bann” tree. The elephant cavalcade is called “Jamboo Savari” or Jumbo Savari. According to Mahabharata, the “Bann” is said to be the place where the Pandavas hid their weapons (astras) during their incognito exile (agyatavas). The ten days of Dussehra celebrations come to an end with the Panjina Kavayatthu event at Bannimantap, a torchlight parade.

Local Cuisine at Dussehra Ahara Mela

All through the ten days of Dussehra, the Mysore palace is decorated with illuminating lights, flowers, and colours. You should not miss the food stalls at the exhibit. The Dussehra Ahara Mela or the food festival is a key attraction to food connoisseurs. Some of the lip-smacking food varieties that are available include the Bijapur roti, happala, Mirchi bondas, biryanis, bamboo rice, ragi mudde, mugaliberu kashaya and much more.