JOIN USHundreds of specially-abled, HIV positive and orphan children, who had arrived in the city to witness the grand ‘jamboo savari’ procession had to return disappointed as only a very few had the opportunity to be a part of 402nd Dasara.
The district administration, in its one of the many firsts, had announced that more than thousand students from across the state would be brought to the heritage city as part of Dasara festival and allow them inside the palace premises during Jamboo savari.
A separate enclosure was even allotted to them. But majority of the seats were found empty with only a few seats occupied. Speaking to Deccan Herald, one of the escorts (on condition of anonymity) who had accompanied them from Bijapur said that they had arrived in Mysore two days ago. They had even participated in the cultural programmes held at Kuppanna park on October 23.
The children who had travelled for more than 12 hours to be a part of the festival were made to wait for more than two hours outside the venue just to get inside.
However, many from other districts had returned disappointed, thanks to cumbersome bureaucracy.
The escort said that the kids were made to wait for hours outside and after much persuasion were let to occupy the seats.
One of the kids Naveen (name changed) said they had watched the procession on television and after seeing the film ‘navagraha’ of his favourite actor Darshan they had dreamed of watching the procession in real and are anxiously waiting to have a look of the golden howdah.
Eyes twinkling below the white caps, these kids who were not used to the hustle and bustle are sure to carry home different tales and memories of Dasara.
The remaining seats were later occupied by the others.