Mysuru Dasara: Another step towards religion, spirituality, devotion

Mysuru Dasara, a combination of Navaratri and Vijayadashami, organised by the government, is described as Naada Habba. It is promoted in a big way to attract tourists.

With each passing year, with each new addition and improvisation, Mysuru Dasara is moving a step forward towards religion, spirituality and devotion.

Improvisation

The new addition this year, 2021, was the offering of puja to the idol of Chamundeshwari Devi by Cooperation Minister S T Somashekar on the morning of Vijayadashami, the last day of Dasara, on October 15. Later, it was brought in a procession up to Mysuru Palace via Thavarekatte, Nazarbad and Ittigegud providing an opportunity for the people to have the darshan of the deity.

G S Sathyanarayana, a retired government official said, "The idol taken out in the procession in the golden howdah and carried by a Dasara elephant during Jamboo Savari, the last leg of Mysuru Dasara, is housed in the Mysuru Palace."

Mini Dasara

“The idol is shifted on Mahalaya Amavasye to Chamundi Hill where it is placed in a silver chariot for offering of puja and floral tributes by the chief minister to mark the beginning of Dasara. On all days of Navaratri, it is offered puja at Chamundeshwari temple and used to be brought down to Mysuru Palace in a goods vehicle, following a final puja, for Jamboo Savari. During the rest of the year, the idol is offered puja at Bombe Thotti, in Mysuru Palace,” he explained.

“In a move to improvise the celebration, this year, the idol was brought in a procession, accompanied by folk art troupes, to Mysuru Palace. The people who had gathered along the procession route were not tourists, but devotees. The procession was dubbed as ‘Mini Dasara’ by onlookers,” Sathyanarayana said.

Wadiyar legacy

“How can a ‘secular’ government claim a religious deity as ‘Naada Devathe’ and a religious festival as ‘Naada Habba’?” asked A Janardhan, a school teacher.

“Dasara celebrations by Wadiyar kings were far more secular. Dasara, inherited by the Wadiyars, from Vijayanagara empire, can be described as a ‘state festival’, as its objective was to showcase the strength and prosperity of the ruler and an occasion to set on an expedition for expansion of the state. Even though there were pujas and rituals, they were held privately, by the king, within his palace,” he pointed out.

Kannada activism

“The last Jamboo Savari of ‘Royal Dasara’ was by Jayachamaraja (JC) Wadiyar in 1969, as he got air of the President passing an order to abolish Privy Purse and also royal titles in 1970. Since then, Dasara has evolved into People’s Dasara. In fact, the evolution has an element of Kannada activism and also love and devotion of the people of Mysuru towards their erstwhile Maharaja, JC Wadiyar, and his Yadu dynasty. It did not have anything to do with religion, spirituality or devotion,” said K H Dhananjaya, a history lecturer.

“When Kannada activist Na Nagalingaswamy of Kannada Kranthidala and others started people’s Dasara in 1970, it was more of a protest, even though he had placed a sandalwood idol of Chamundeshwari in a wooden howdah, borrowed from Mysuru Palace. Some historians differ on the idol. They say, as Nagalingaswamy and his friends were Kannada activists, they had placed an idol of Bhuvaneshwari, representing Karnataka state (then still Mysuru State),” he said.

Bharat Matha

“In 1971, a core group was formed to continue the tradition of Dasara, led by D Jayadevaraja Urs, F K Irani and B C Lingaiah. They took out the idol of Chamundeshwari in the Jamboo Savari up to 1974. In 1975, when the State government sponsored the first Jamboo Savari, led by then chief minister D Devaraja Urs, an image of Bharat Matha, representing India, followed the Dasara elephant, in an open jeep. There was no puja or rituals. Over the years, Dasara celebrations have grown by leaps and bounds. Most of it is related to puja, rituals and auspicious time, as per Hindu calendar. Instead of being a secular tourist carnival, Dasara is deviating more towards customs and traditions of a particular religion or community,” D Ramachandra, a senior citizen, said.

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