Large number of tourists throng Mysuru for Dasara illumination, choke roads

Illuminated KR Circle.

Illuminated Sayyaji Rao Road

Despite the State government announcing simple Dasara this year in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis, thousands of tourists are thronging Mysuru city to enjoy the ‘Naada Habba’.

Although the festival and cultural events are limited to Mysuru Palace premises, people are visiting the city to enjoy the illumination.

People from various parts of the state are arriving in the city. Compared to Dasara-2020, the tourists’ inflow has increased this year.

The city roads are choked with traffic from evening to night as a majority of Mysureans came out of houses driving their vehicles to witness the illumination of the city. All tourist destinations except Chamundi Hill are open for visitors, while the tourist spots were out of bounds for tourists during the last Dasara.

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A majority of the visitors throng the city from Bengaluru, Mandya, Hassan and Chamarajanagar to witness the illumination.

S H Avinash of Hassan, who visited the city on Friday said that he was a regular visitor to Mysuru during Dasara.

“I missed the illumination last year due to Covid. I reached the city at 2 pm and will leave the city at 9.30 pm after enjoying the illumination,” he said.

Banupriya from Mandya said that she, along with her husband and children, visited the city to enjoy the lights.

“We saw the colourful lighting on social media and children demanded to visit the city,” she said.

In 2018, the city had witnessed a record flow of tourists. Mysuru Zoo had received 1.53 lakh tourists during Dasara festival. However, 33,000 people visited the Zoo on Vijayadashami Day alone.

With a large number of people visiting the city, it is a big relief for tourism stakeholders, including hoteliers. The tourism stakeholders were under severe loss without business since the Covid crisis set in.

A traffic police officer said that the traffic density was high compared to normal days and the density increased by evening.

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