In a bid to reduce the huge rush on the Jambu Savari day during Mysuru Dasara, the government on Wednesday revealed that there will be another special Dasara procession on Sunday, October 14, a day before the final day’s grand procession.
Higher Education Minister and Mysuru district in-charge minister G T Deve Gowda said that though there will be a full rehearsal of the Jambu Savari, complete with decked-up elephants and cultural troupes from Mysuru palace to Bannimantap on October 14, the elephants will only carry a replica of the famous golden howdah, which is the showpiece of the Mysuru Dasara.
Deve Gowda said, “Earlier, the rehearsal for the Jambu Savari used to be confined to the palace premises. Now, for the first time, it will happen on the actual procession route. This will be followed by tableaux, folk troupes like Dollu Kunitha and Kamsale, and other folk arts. This includes the full line of the full dress rehearsal of the torchlight parade on Bannimantap grounds. The extension of the rehearsal will heighten the Dasara fever in the heritage city.”
This rehearsal will not include the procession of the Golden Howdah, the key attraction of Dasara, but it will just be the replica of actual howdah.
Meanwhile, the higher education department has also asked the universities and their affiliated colleges to bring in at least 50 students from their institutions to take part in the Dasara.
“The reason for declaring Dasara holidays for schools and colleges is to make students watch Dasara. I have directed all the universities to ask their affiliated colleges to bring at least 50 students from each college to Mysuru during the festival. We have come up with a three-day programme for them, where students will experience the festival fever in Mysuru city on Day 1, visit some places on Day 2 and watch the rehearsal of Jambu Savari procession on Sunday, the Day 3,” Gowda said.