Mysuru Dasara will feature participation from neighbouring states, more than 40 ambassadors and representatives of different religious communities this year, while the Mysuru City Corporation has separately prohibited unauthorised flex banners across the city during the festival period.
D.K. Shivakumar announced the expanded participation and event-management measures at a meeting on Dasara preparations held at the Zilla Panchayat auditorium in Mysuru on Saturday. Invitations have been sent to the chief ministers of different states, and ambassadors from India and abroad are expected to attend the celebrations, he said.
Religious leaders will be invited to the inauguration, with Shivakumar directing officials to build a separate platform beside the main inauguration stage. He also said three teams of the armed forces would participate in the Jamboo Savari procession and instructed officials to arrange live broadcasts on LED screens at multiple locations so that more people can watch the event.
The procession will include tableaux highlighting the history of Mangaluru and the traditions of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Tibetans have also been given an opportunity to participate with a tableau, while representatives from the film industry are expected to join the celebrations.
Artists performing in the Jamboo Savari will arrive in Mysuru four days before the procession. They will be provided uniform costumes and required to attend two rounds of rehearsals before the event. Shivakumar instructed officials to prevent repetition among cultural groups, maintain uniformity in costumes and restrict mobile-phone use by performers and people around the procession.
The arrangements also include changes for ticketed spectators. Shivakumar directed officials to provide suitable seating for people buying tickets to watch the Jamboo Savari, print seat numbers on every ticket and clearly communicate entry timings. He also asked authorities to invite members of the erstwhile royal family respectfully and ensure that the event is conducted without political interference.
The state’s sportspersons who have won medals at the Asian Games are to be invited to the Dasara sports meet. Ministers will be assigned in rotation to support the district minister in charge during the 11-day festival. Special lighting will continue for 21 days, and food festivals are planned at the Yuva Dasara and Kambala venues, among other locations.
Officials have also been instructed to provide toilets and drinking-water facilities at event sites. Five elephants are being trained to carry the ambari, and one of them will be selected for the procession. The meeting was attended by ministers, legislators, members of the Legislative Council, heads of state agencies and district-level officials.
The Mysuru City Corporation’s flex ban will take effect from October 5. No type of flex banner may be installed in the city after that date, and banners already in place must be removed by October 7, according to a notice issued by corporation commissioner M.K. Savita. The corporation has warned that it will remove banners that are not cleared within the deadline.