Jamboo Savari route overflows with spectators as grandeur returns to Mysuru

It was a perfect grand finale for ‘Nada Habba’ Dasara this year, with lakhs of people witnessing the Jamboo Savari procession on Wednesday.

It was a double bonus as grandeur returned to the festival after a gap of two years and the golden howdah carrying elephant Abhimanyu passed through the illuminated Raja Marga, as the launch muhurta was delayed.

The Dasara festivities were limited to Mysuru Palace precincts over the last two years, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai launched the procession for the second consecutive year, by offering floral tributes to the idol of goddess Chamundeshwari placed in the golden howdah at 5.37 pm, followed by 21 rounds of cannon firing and rendering of the national anthem.

The CM was accompanied by Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, member of the erstwhile royal family, Minister S T Somashekar, Police Commissioner Chandragupta, Mayor Shivakumar and Deputy Commissioner Bagadi Goutham.

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There was a seating arrangement for 30,000 people, but over 50,000 people had gathered on the Mysuru palace premises itself. Lakhs of people witnessed the procession on the 4.8-km Raja Patha from the Palace to Bannimantap.

The caparisoned Abhimanyu carried the 750-kg golden howdah with ease, for the third time, while Kaveri and Chaitra were kumki elephants.

While Arjuna was the pilot elephant (Nishane ane), Gopalaswamy, Bheema, Dhananjaya, Mahendra and Gopi also took part in the procession.

Tableaux

In all, 47 tableaux and 73 cultural troupes added glitter to the Jamboo Savari, bringing the curtains down on the 10-day Nada Habba Dasara 2022.

All roads led to palace

All roads in the city led to Mysuru Palace. People had occupied vantage points from Tuesday night itself. Lakhs of people waited patiently for hours to have a glimpse of the idol of Chamundeshwari in the golden howdah.

Earlier, CM Bommai launched the procession by performing puja to Nandi Dhwaja, near Kote Anjaneya Swami temple, at 2.34 pm.

‘Vijaya Yatre’

Meanwhile, Wadiyar took out the ‘Vijaya Yatre’ on the Palace premises, after the Vajramushti Kalaga culminated.

‘Jattis’ (wrestlers) from Mysuru, Chamarajanagar, Bengaluru and Channapatna participated in the fight near the Savari thotti of the palace.

The fight ended in just 15 seconds after a jatti took a blow and bled in the head.

Yaduveer, his mother Pramoda Devi Wadiyar and son Adyaveer, watched the Kalaga. Wadiyar offered prayers at Bhuvaneshwari temple and performed puja to Banni tree, a custom followed on Vijayadashami.

More than 5,000 police personnel were deployed in Mysuru city and CCTV cameras were installed at vantage points for security. The procession reached Bannimantap by 7.35 pm.

Torchlight parade

Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot, who had to receive the guard of honour at the torchlight parade on Bannimantap grounds, could not attend the programme as he had tested positive for Covid recently. CM Bommai received the guard of honour.