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The city’s annual tryst with Dasara will come to a close on Wednesday with the famed Jamboo Savari as the caparisoned elephants will lead the procession in front of a sea of humanity.
The Vijayadashmi procession and the Torch Light parade to be held soon after at the Bannimantap Grounds will bring the curtains down on Naada Habba which was inaugurated by the President Droupadi Murmu on September 26 at Chamundi Hills.
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The Government which funds the festival had released ₹34.5 crore for the event this year to make it a grand affair and revive tourism as it was being held after two years of pandemic during which the festival was cancelled.
Governor Thawarchand Ghelot, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and a slew of political leaders and officials will witness the parade which is scheduled to commence soon after the Nandi Dhwaja Puja by Mr. Bommai between 2.36 p.m. and 2.50 p.m. The caravan of tableaus and cultural troupes reflecting the cultural diversity of the State will follow soon after.
The caparisoned elephant Abhimanyu will carry the idol of Goddess Chamundeshwari and will march in front of the podium where dignitaries will shower petals on it between 5.07 p.m. and 5.18 p.m. and will bring the curtains down on the famed Jamboo Savari.
In all 290 cultural events spread across 8 venues in the city were organised for 10 days of the festival apart from food mela, heritage walk, Dasara sports, poets’ meet, adventure sports, raitha dasara, wrestling etc. The icing on the cake was the city illumination for which the Government has released ₹4.5 crore to Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation (CESC). In all, 96 circles and 124 km stretch of roads were illuminated and was popular among the locals and the tourists alike to view which the KSTDC had arranged for open-top double-decker buses.
The elephants from the jungle camps been rehearsing for the finale since 45 days and are set to be the show stealers when they march out of the palace on Wednesday conjuring up images that are a throwback to the past.