Mysuru police have imposed prohibitory orders within a 200-metre radius of the Mahishasura statue on Chamundi Hill from midnight on October 9 until 6 am on October 11, ahead of the Mahisha Dasara programme scheduled for October 10.
The order was issued by Mysuru City Police Commissioner Seema Latkar on Thursday. It does not apply to residents living on Chamundi Hill, according to the report by Prajavani – Mysuru.
The restriction follows a request from Mahisha Dasara Celebration Committee president Purushotham, who had sought departmental cooperation for a series of events on October 10. The programme included garlanding the Mahishasura statue at 8.30 am on Chamundi Hill, followed by the garlanding of the statue of Dr B.R. Ambedkar and a stage programme at 11 am in the outer premises of the Town Hall.
According to the police order, intelligence personnel had gathered information indicating that some organisations could stage protests opposing the Mahisha Dasara celebrations on the same day. The order said there were differences between two groups over the observance and that the possibility of supporters and opponents assembling from different routes on the hill could create a law-and-order situation.
Chamundi Hill is a large and prominent public and religious site in Mysuru, with multiple access points and regular visitor movement. The police cited the size of the hill and the possibility of people gathering from different directions while explaining the need for the temporary restriction. The order is intended to regulate movement around the statue during the period covering the proposed programme and possible counter-protests.
The decision places crowd control at the centre of the city’s management of a contested public event. Rather than applying the restriction to residents, the police order specifically excludes people living on Chamundi Hill, limiting the stated measure to the designated area around the statue.
The order remains in force until 6 am on October 11. The supplied report does not specify whether additional traffic diversions, visitor restrictions elsewhere on Chamundi Hill or separate arrangements at the Town Hall will be announced by the police or other departments.
