Mysore: He was a familiar sight every Jumbo Savari, walking alongside it, clicking photographs, even in the 1950s when outdoor photography was still rare. Trained by movie moghul, Raj Kapoor in Mumbai, he covered 58 Dasaras, and the durbars of Sri Chamaraja Wadiyar and Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar, but is missing in action this festival.
Now 75, freelance photo journalist, Amardas D. Hinduja, treasures his memories of Mysore Dasara. “It was everybody’s festival. The city was decorated like a bride. I always got an invitation from the Maharaja. Dignitaries from France, Germany, and England would be invited. The Hotel Metropole hosted the foreign invitees and had special cooks to cater to them.
There was a dress code for attending the private durbar of the maharaja. Europeans were expected to come in a suit and tie, and civilians in a long coat, valli and turban,” he recalls, his face coming alive at the memories.
“There was a fountain of German perfume (Eau de cologne) behind the throne. The Jumbo Savari route was covered with white sand and the horses shoes were nailed to create a musical sound. People came from villages on bullock carts and slept on the streets overnight to see the Maharaja”.
