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September 25: State’s big date with Dasara

Jnanpith awardee Girish Karnad and CM to launch celebrations

Mysore: There are just four days left for the world famous Mysore Dasara to begin with the “Naada Habba” (State Festival) set to be inaugurated on September 25.

Jnanpith awardee Girish Karnad along with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, and a host of other ministers will offer puja to Goddess Chamundeswari atop Chamundi Hills to launch the celebrations.

With the State receiving bountiful rains, Mr Siddaramaiah, who is chairperson of the Dasara High Power Committee and a native of Mysore, has released Rs 12 crore for Dasara including Rs 1 crore each for Dasara at Mandya and Chamarajnagar this year. Even though there was speculation that the demise of last Maharaja of Mysore, Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar could cast its effect on the celebrations this year, chairperson of Dasara Executive Committee V. Srinivasprasad, has put an end to the speculation by convincing the Maharani.

“The Dasara cultural programmes will be inaugurated by September 25 evening after the inauguration of “Janata Dasara” on Thursday morning. The stage will be designed in such a way and all the 29 programmes which will be held in front of Palace, will be held in memory of the last Maharaja. The programmes will be in such a manner without hurting sentiments of the royal family” Mr Srinivasprasad said.

Will Dasara expo be ready in time?
The Dasara Exhibition, one of the main attractions of ‘Naada Habba’, is unlikely to be ready on time as not even 50 per cent of work is complete and only three days are left for commencement of the festivities. A reality check shows that there is no way officials can meet the deadline. It would be a miracle, if the expo is ready by at least a day after conclusion of Mysore Dasara! Some of the raw materials to erect stalls are still arriving; the place is filled with waste, work on complexes of state departments has not even started. Only a few departments have completed the structural work. This is not the first time such a thing has happened. Tourists or local people, who visit the exhibition in the first week after its inauguration, are usually greeted by empty stalls. Last year, of the 351 commercial stalls, not even 40 per cent were ready on the first day.

( Source : dc )
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