Tourism industry upbeat as grand Dasara returns to Mysuru after two years

The countdown for ‘Nada Habba Dasara 2022’ seems to have begun, with Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai announcing that President Draupadi Murmu will inaugurate the festival atop Chamundi Hill on September 26.

Murmu will be the first President to take part in the inauguration of Dasara.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in the city to participate in the ‘International Yoga Day’ in June.

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All preparations are on for the grand celebration of the 412th edition of Mysuru Dasara, with the officials holding a series of meetings with members of the Dasara sub-committees and also seeking suggestions from the public.

The Dasara celebrations had to be scaled down for the last two years due to Covid pandemic. With the pandemic under control this year, the government decided for a grand Dasara, as suggested by the stakeholders of the tourism industry.

With just 15 days left for the inauguration of Dasara, the hoteliers have been receiving a lot of enquiries and bookings for accommodation, much to their relief. The district administration has planned all events that were held before Covid, to attract the Dasara crowd this year.

No gold cards

However, the authorities confirmed that gold cards will not be issued for Dasara this year. The gold cards allowed entry to the tourists to the Mysuru palace to watch the ‘Jamboo Savari’ and also direct entry to major tourist spots.

This year, local residents are gearing up to host relatives and friends for Dasara after two years. The city draws lakhs of tourists during the 10-day celebrations, especially on ‘Vijayadashami,’ the day of Jamboo Savari.

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Hit by Covid

Dasara 2020 was a big blow to the tourism industry due to Covid. However, the situation was a little better in 2021.

The tourism stakeholders, who were initially upset over the scaled down celebrations, did a decent business during the last few days of Dasara in 2021.

According to Mysuru Hotel Owners’ Association president C Narayana Gowda, the occupancy rate was around 50% initially and increased to 90% on ‘Ayudha Puja’ and ‘Vijayadashami’ holidays last year.