Dasara is as big as ever in the heritage town of Mysore. The whole city unites with the spirit of the festival; buildings and main roads are beautifully decked up with lights, creating an atmosphere of colours and festivity.
Dasara is the main tourist attraction during the year, and the city hosts a variety of events, starting from exhibitions, fares, food and film festivals, to adventure sports, concerts and many more activities.
The Mysore Palace, which stands in all its glory, sees tourists pouring in, this time around. It is quite a breathtaking sight when it is illuminated at night. The highlight of course, is the Dasara procession that takes place on the tenth day of the festival, which is a very grand event, and is witnessed by a huge gathering.
The Government has also taken a lot of steps to support the festival of Dasara. Their online web portal serves as a very efficient information source for aspiring visitors. Police help-desks are set up at many parts of the city; and every building, starting from the smallest tea shop, is seen distributing sweets to people around, giving the festival a very warm, cordial feel.
We spoke to our dealers in Mysore, the Mysore Tractor Company, about how they celebrate Dasara in their office. During the festival time, the salesmen and mechanics unite and perform Ayudha Pooja to each tractor in their dealership, Apart from this, they also decorate the office on these days. Employees are given half a day off on Ayudha Pooja and a holiday on Vijayadashmi.
Overall, the Mysore Dasara is certainly a special occasion to witness and experience!