MYSURU
As the city heads towards the culmination of Vijayadashami celebrations, spectacular motorcycle stunts, equestrian performances and a drone show await spectators at Bannimantap Ground on Wednesday (October 21, 2026) evening as part of the Torchlight Parade.
Personnel from the Karnataka Police, the Mounted Police Company, Mysuru, and the Army are gearing up for the event, with equestrian performance and motorcycle stunts among the major attractions.
Parade commandant Suresh, ACP, Mounted Police Company, Mysore will lead the march.
Newly sworn-in Governor Sudha Yadava will be the chief guest. She will receive the Guard of Honour during the inspection of various Police Contingents. The cadets will begin the march after receiving permission from the Governor.
A ceremonial gun salute will be accompanied by the playing of the national anthem by the police band, during which 21 canons will be fired. King Power, a nationally medalled horse, will gallop four times, as per the available information.
Eighteen platoons, each comprising 28 cadets, along with two horse platoons, will participate in the parade. Personnel from the armed forces, constables, Home Guards, and railway cadets will be the part of the 18 platoons.
Head Constable Suresh Malali and Police Inspector S. D. Sasanoor will lead the Mounted Police Company’s performances, featuring horse riding, jumping and iconic tent pegging event.
Around 15 horses and their riders will participate in the show, with each performance lasting between 12 and 15 minutes. A total of 30 personnel from the Mounted Police Company, including supporting staff, will take part.
This year’s tent pegging show will features riders manoeuvring six horses in vertical and horizontal formations.
In the jumping event, horse riders will jump over six wooden bars and brick box with precision. A fire jumping performance will also be staged to enthral the audience.
Preparations for equestrian performances began in August. As horses are sensitive animals, their selection for the parade takes into account weather condition, their performance in previous year and inputs from veterinary doctors.
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Artists from the Panghat Garba Group immerse themselves in a high-energy rehearsal ahead of Navratri at Rajwadu in Ahmedabad on October 4, 2026.
Panghat Garba Group artists put the finishing touches on their performance at Rajwadu Traditional Restaurant in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
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An artisan sprays paint on idols of Goddess Durga at Kumartuli, Kolkata’s historic potters’ quarter, as preparations for the Durga Puja festival, on October 7, 2026.
An artist portraying Goddess Kali performs a fire stunt during the Dasara Navaratri procession organised by devotees at the Chennakesavaswamy Temple Circle in Ongole, Andhra Pradesh, on October 14, 2026.
Devotees visit a beautifully decorated Durga Puja pandal in Secunderabad, Telangana on October 16, 2026.
Members of the Bengali community, organised by the UTSAB Cultural Association, take part in a traditional Prabhat Pheri — singing devotional songs and playing traditional instruments — as part of Durga Puja celebrations in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, on October 16, 2026.
Devotees offering prayer and clicking pictures at Minto Road Mandal during Durga Puja celebration, in New Delhi on October 16, 2026.
Devotees offer prayers and seek the blessings of Goddess Kanaka Durga at the Sri Durga Malleswara Swamyvarla Devasthanam atop Indrakeeladri during the Dasara Devi Navaratri celebrations in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, on October 17, 2026.
A priest offer prayers at a pandal, where an idol of Hindu goddess Durga is displayed during the Durga Puja festival in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir on October 17, 2026.
A traditional artist paints portraits on masks of the demon king Ravana at a workshop ahead of the Dussehra festivities in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, on October 17, 2026. The effigies of Ravana are traditionally burned by devotees to mark the culmination of the Durga Puja festival
Intricate aerial formations light up the sky during a Dasara festival drone show at the Torchlight Parade Grounds in Mysuru, Karnataka on October 17, 2026.
A priest at a Durga Puja pandal during the Durga Puja and Navratri festival, at Allen Park on Park Street, in Kolkata October 17, 2026.
As part of their religious observance, devotees wear kaappu (a sacred wrist thread) and dress up in various costumes to collect offerings for the god and fulfill their vows. Thousands of devotees and Dasara groups from Thoothukudi, Kanniyakumari, Tirunelveli, Tenkasi and other districts in Tamil Nadu began arriving in Kulasekrapattinam, on October 17, 2026.
Devotees dressed as gods, mythological characters and other figures during the annual Dasara festival of Mutharamman temple at Kulasekarapattinam in Thoothukudi district, Tamil Nadu.
Devotees in striking costumes at Kulasekarapattinam in Thoothukudi district. The Soorasamharam (annihilation of demon), the highlight of the festival, will take place on the midnight of October 20, 2026.
With lakhs of devotees expected to attend the grand event, the town is witnessing a steady influx of pilgrims from various parts of Tamil Nadu.
People make a formation at the ‘garba’ celebrations during the ‘Navratri’ festival, in Rajkot, Gujarat on October 17, 2026.
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Adding to the excitement will be a daredevil display by 30 motorcyclists from the Army Service Corps(ASC) Tornadoes, the Indian Army’s official motorcycle display team based at the ASC Centre and College, Bengaluru. The team, led by Major Amrit Panda, will perform a series of stunts, according to sources.
The motorcycle display will be followed by the most distinctive feature of Mysuru Dasara — Torchlight Parade (Panjina Kavayitu). About 300 armed constables from across Karnataka, will carry flaming torchlights to form the words “Welcome” and “Jai Chamundeshwari”, and perform coordinated exercises at the conclusion of parade.
Cultural performances, including Colours of India show, will add to the spectacle. Sound-and-light shows will be held between performances.
The much-awaited drone show will illuminate the sky above Bannimantapa ground for around 15 minutes.
The Torchlight parade will commence at 7 p.m. and is expected to last approximately two hours.