Mysuru Dussehra Concludes with Grand Jamboo Savari Procession

MYSURU  : The grand Vijayadashami procession, popularly known as Jamboo Savari, got underway in Mysuru on Wednesday, marking the culmination of the 11-day Dussehra festivities. Celebrated as ‘Nada Habba’, or the state festival of Karnataka, Mysuru Dussehra showcased the state’s rich cultural heritage, traditions and royal grandeur.

Thousands of people gathered along the procession route to witness the spectacular event, featuring a dozen caparisoned elephants led by Prashantha, which carried the idol of Goddess Chamundeshwari in a 750-kg golden Ambari (howdah). The core of the howdah is made of wood and covered with approximately 80 kg of gold.

Keralam Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan and Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy attended the celebrations at the invitation of Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar. Several foreign dignitaries, including ambassadors, consuls general and high commissioners, also participated.

Earlier, the Mysuru royal family’s scion, Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, performed traditional rituals, including a special puja to the Shami tree at the Bhuvaneshwari Devi temple within the Amba Vilas Palace premises.

The procession commenced with Shivakumar and other dignitaries offering prayers to the Nandi Dhwaja at the palace during the auspicious Makara Lagna. Cultural troupes, colourful tableaux from various districts, government departments and social awareness campaigns formed part of the five-kilometre procession, which culminated at Bannimantapa. Representations of the three wings of the Defence Forces highlighted their valour and service.

The Jamboo Savari, held on Vijayadashami, symbolises the victory of good over evil. Continuing a centuries-old royal tradition, the idol of Goddess Chamundeshwari now occupies the golden howdah, replacing the king who once rode in it.