Mysuru: The coming Mysuru Dasara celebrations, which will once again be restrained this year, will have water conservation as their theme in deference to the sufferings of people in the Malnad and Cauvery catchment area, which have not received enough rain this monsoon.
“It will be a green Dasara this year,” quipped Mysuru district in-charge, minister Dr H C Mahadevappa. Noted litterateur , Channaveera Kanavi and not cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, who was also shortlisted for the honour, will inaugurate the event along with CM Siddaramaiah and his cabinet colleagues, by offering pooja to goddess Chamundeswari atop the Chamundi hills on October 1.
Even if not on a grand scale, the festivities promise to be more vibrant and packed with innovative initiatives, going by the decisions taken by the Dasara Exercutive Committee at its meeting here on Tuesday. On offer will be a Palaces on Wheels tour which will take tourists around all palaces in the city on a KSTCD Volvo bus.
Beginning their journey at the Jaganmohan Palace, tourists arriving in the city for the Dasara will have the privilege of lunching at the Lalitmahal Palace before proceeding to the Lakshmi Vilas Palace in Manasa Gangothri and then sitting back to enjoy some entertainment at the illuminated Aloka Palace.
A Dasara website will be launched on August 16 and while there will be no air show, the city will be illuminated as usual and people will get to enjoy the fireworks display held after the Dasara torchlight parade at Bannimantap as usual.
As an added tourist attraction, chartered flights and helicopters will provide service between Mysuru and Bengaluru and the government is entering into a special “French sister- tier city” tie- up with France to draw tourists from that country for the celebrations.
The possibility of relaxing entry tax during Dasara is also being discussed, going by tourism minister, Priyank Kharge. The festivities are expected to cost the government Rs 14.25 crore.
