Mysore Dassara

The world renowned 10 days long dassare festival (September to October) is the major attraction of Mysore.  It marks the victory of Goddess Chamundi over the demon king Mahishasura and is celebrated with traditional gaiety.  The Mysore Palace is the hub of celebrations and reflects  the glory and grandur of the bygone era.  The palace is fully lit up for ten days and the entire city wears a wears a festive look.  The 10th day also known as Vijayadashmi is marked by a grand procession which starts from the Maharaja’s Palace.  The colourful procession is led by caparisoned elephants carrying an idol Goddess Chamundeshwari, seated on a golden howdah (elephant seat).  It is accompanied by uniformed soldiers, beautifully decorated horses, folk dancers and colourful floats. The procession culminates at Banni Mantap. The Dassara exhibition, crafts fair, film festivals, vajramushti (traditional wrestling matches) and various cultural programmes are also held during this time providing glimpses of the rich cultural heritage of the region.