Mysuru Dasara: When tradition meets novelty

In the bygone era, the conclusion of the Jumboo Savari on Vijayadashami would be followed by the Torchlight Parade at Bannimantap, with the Maharaja, on horseback, receiving a ceremonial royal salute from his kingdom’s armed forces and cavalry amid the glow of traditional torches.

Cut to the present, and spectators pour into the Bannimantap grounds and jostle for vantage points not only to watch motorcycle acrobatics and equestrian displays, but also to witness a drone show in which thousands of LED-fitted drones create formations ranging from the solar system and world map to tigers, peacocks, and Goddess Chamundeshwari.

The drone show, which has given a high-tech edge to the Torchlight Parade alongside traditional military and police displays, is just one of the many transformations Mysuru Dasara has witnessed over the years.

Dasara elephants march in procession from Aranya Bhavan in Mysuru to the palace. | Photo Credit: M.A. Sriram

Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, for whom the 2026 celebrations mark his first Dasara as the State’s executive head, has signalled his intention to introduce further changes. He has proposed inviting the Chief Ministers of other southern States and including their tableaux in the procession to give it a broader regional character. More controversially, he announced the introduction of Kambala, the traditional slush-track buffalo race of coastal Karnataka. This has drawn opposition from farmers’ groups, environmentalists, and historians, reopening questions about whether the expansion of Dasara’s cultural canvas strengthens the festival or risks diluting its distinctive identity.

Over four centuries

Dasara has a history spanning more than four centuries, with its origins dating back to the Vijayanagara empire. After its decline, Raja Wadiyar I formally instituted Dasara celebrations at Srirangapatna in 1610 before shifting to Mysuru after the fall of Tipu Sultan in 1799.

Over the centuries, the festival evolved into a distinctive expression of the region’s royal heritage, with the Wadiyars patronising religious rituals, music, dance, and other arts.

The Dasara procession with the Maharaja riding on the State elephant in Mysore, in 1932. | Photo Credit: HINDU PHOTO ARCHIVES

In view of the abolition of the privy purse by the then Government of India, which ended all official privileges and status of former princely rulers, the Maharaja of Mysore, since 1970, ceased to occupy the golden howdah atop an elephant during the Jumboo Savari and withdrew from organising the Dasara festival, paving the way for the Karnataka government to take over the responsibility of conducting Dasara as a “Nada Habba” or “festival of the region”.