Curtains came down on the magnificent Mysuru Dasara cultural extravaganza here on Friday with the famed Jamboo Savari witnessed by a sea of humanity.
Celebrated as ‘Naada Habba’ (State festival), Jamboo Savari, or the Vijayadashami procession, which marks the culmination of the ten-day festivities, unfolded on the 5 km procession route from Amba Vilasa Palace to Bannimantap Grounds.
This year’s turn-out of people watching the grand finale appeared bigger than last year’s. People were pouring into the streets since morning to occupy their seats. They climbed up trees, hoardings, buildings, stone arches and vehicle tops to get a glimpse of the procession that included caparisoned elephants, tableaux, cultural and folk troupes drawn from across the State.
The cultural pageantry began at 3.10 p.m. Prior to this, Nandi Dwaja puja, a tradition practised before the start of the procession, was performed at the Jayarama Gate of the palace. About 42 tableaux and 50 cultural troupes took part in the procession.
Earlier, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, who arrived with his wife Anitha Kumaraswamy, his Cabinet colleagues, MLAs, family members and invitees, in an Airavat bus, offered puja to Nandi Dwaja at 2.45 p.m. After the puja, the CM, instead of travelling in the open jeep kept ready by the police to the palace for flagging off the procession, walked to the venue along with Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara, Ministers G.T. Deve Gowda and S.R. Mahesh.
Golden howdah
The cynosure of all eyes was Arjuna, the tall tusker, who carried the 750 kg golden howdah with the idol of Goddess Chamundeshwari, the presiding deity of Mysuru, flanked by elephants Cauvery and Varalakshmi. As the jumbo approached the elevated rostrum, 21 rounds of canon shots were fired and the police band played the national anthem even as the three elephants raised their trunks as a mark of respect.
Unlike in the previous years, when Arjuna and the two female elephants used to arrive at the end of the procession, this time, were brought in, in the middle of the procession much to the surprise of the people.
The elephants were stopped for a while at the Chamaraja Circle for the tableaux to move forward.
The first to hit the procession were the artistes of Jodi Nandi Dwaja Kunita and Veerabhadra Kunita followed by nine caparisoned elephants – Naupat and Nishane Ane and Pattada Ane – which majestically marched drawing thunderous applause from the crowds. The nine included Balarama, Abhimanyu, Vijaya, Prashantha, Dhananjaya, Drona, Chaitra, Gopi, and Vikrama.
Artistes of Kombhu Kahale, Dollu Kunita, Jaggaligi Mela, Tamate Nagari, Gondara Dakke, Beesu Kamsale, Puja Kunita and Jhanz Patak performed.
Among the notable tableaux were ‘Karnatakaka Navarathnagalu’ from the Department of Kannada and Culture; Gol Gumbaz replica from Vijayapura; the Journey of Universities of Karnataka by the Department of Higher Education; the Golden Temple of Bylakuppe from Mysuru; the contributions of Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar to Mandya district; the religious shrines among forests from Chamarajanar.
