Mysuru Dasara: When tradition meets novelty

In the bygone era, the conclusion of the Jumboo Savari on Vijayadashami would be followed by the Torchlight Parade at Bannimantap, with the Maharaja, on horseback, receiving a ceremonial royal salute from his kingdom’s armed forces and cavalry amid the glow of traditional torches.

Cut to the present, and spectators pour into the Bannimantap grounds and jostle for vantage points not only to watch motorcycle acrobatics and equestrian displays, but also to witness a drone show in which thousands of LED-fitted drones create formations ranging from the solar system and world map to tigers, peacocks, and Goddess Chamundeshwari.

The drone show, which has given a high-tech edge to the Torchlight Parade alongside traditional military and police displays, is just one of the many transformations Mysuru Dasara has witnessed over the years.

Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, for whom the 2026 celebrations mark his first Dasara as the State’s executive head, has signalled his intention to introduce further changes. He has proposed inviting the Chief Ministers of other southern States and including their tableaux in the procession to give it a broader regional character. More controversially, he announced the introduction of Kambala, the traditional slush-track buffalo race of coastal Karnataka. This has drawn opposition from farmers’ groups, environmentalists, and historians, reopening questions about whether the expansion of Dasara’s cultural canvas strengthens the festival or risks diluting its distinctive identity.

Over four centuries

Dasara has a history spanning more than four centuries, with its origins dating back to the Vijayanagara empire. After its decline, Raja Wadiyar I formally instituted Dasara celebrations at Srirangapatna in 1610 before shifting to Mysuru after the fall of Tipu Sultan in 1799.

Over the centuries, the festival evolved into a distinctive expression of the region’s royal heritage, with the Wadiyars patronising religious rituals, music, dance, and other arts.

In view of the abolition of the privy purse by the then Government of India, which ended all official privileges and status of former princely rulers, the Maharaja of Mysore, since 1970, ceased to occupy the golden howdah atop an elephant during the Jumboo Savari and withdrew from organising the Dasara festival, paving the way for the Karnataka government to take over the responsibility of conducting Dasara as a “Nada Habba” or “festival of the region”.

With the idol of Goddess Chamundeshwari replacing the Maharaja in the golden howdah, the Jumboo Savari continued with traditional grandeur, with the cooperation of the erstwhile royal family. Other elements, including the illumination of the iconic Mysuru palace, music programmes in its forecourt, and Vajramushti Kalaga, a traditional form of wrestling involving knuckle-dusters, also continued alongside the Wadiyar family’s private Dasara, during which the erstwhile Maharaja ascended the golden throne and held a private durbar.

The Jumboo Savari, even without the Maharaja, continued to draw huge crowds in the 1970s and 1980s, when there were fewer competing attractions and much of Mysuru’s population turned out along the procession route. According to veteran Mysurean, writer and journalist Gauri Satya, the procession gradually acquired additional elements of pageantry, with tableaux joining the folk troupes, marching contingents and caparisoned elephants.

Expanding canvas

After 2000, Dasara gradually evolved from a palace-centric celebration into a multi-venue festival encompassing culture, entertainment, youth engagement, and tourism.

Yuva Dasara, featuring concerts by playback singers and rock bands from across the country, became a major attraction among young people. Performers such as A.R. Rahman, Sonu Nigam, and Shreya Ghoshal drew enthusiastic audiences over the years. Prabhu Deva was among the prominent performers at Yuva Dasara this year. As crowds grew, congestion around the Maharaja’s College grounds prompted the authorities to shift the event to a larger venue near the Outer Ring Road at Uttanahalli.

The administration also introduced Ahara Mela, or the food festival. Its popularity is evident from the nearly 700 applications received for around 100 stalls at this year’s Dasara.

Other additions, including an air show by the Indian Air Force’s Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team, Raitha Dasara celebrating agrarian culture, Mahila Dasara for women, Makkala Dasara for children, Kavi Goshti or poets’ meet, Dasara Book Fair, and Yoga Dasara, have broadened the festival’s appeal.

While these additions have attracted new audiences, Kambala this year has raised a more fundamental question about the cultural boundaries of Mysuru Dasara. Unlike drone shows or celebrity concerts, which primarily change how people experience the festival, Kambala introduces a distinct regional tradition into its programme.

Cultural boundaries?

Scion of the erstwhile Mysuru royal family Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, who is also the BJP MP representing Mysuru in the Lok Sabha, has questioned the move, arguing that Kambala does not fit into Mysuru’s cultural milieu.

Congress leader in Mysuru S. Rajesh, meanwhile, contended that there is little justification for excluding Kambala when the festival already features art forms from other regions, including Kathak and Kuchipudi, as well as Chenda percussion from Kerala. Kambala, he argues, is a spectacular traditional sport that is part of Karnataka’s cultural heritage.

The Chief Minister also defended the decision to hold Kambala, which is scheduled to make its debut on a specially prepared slush track at Sathagalli on the outskirts of Mysuru on October 18 and 19.

His claim, made during the inauguration of Dasara, that the rulers of the Vijayanagar empire had a tradition of bringing buffaloes to the celebrations has been disputed by historian N.S. Rangaraju. A retired professor of ancient history and archaeology at the University of Mysore, Rangaraju said there was no historical record to establish this.

In a drought year

Opponents, including Parashurama Gowda of Parisarakkagi Naavu, have questioned spending a substantial sum on transporting nearly 400 buffaloes and their jockeys from Dakshina Kannada to organise the event in Mysuru amid drought conditions. Officials have estimated the expenditure on Kambala at ₹5 crore to ₹8 crore. Farmers’ groups have separately raised concerns over the use of several lakh litres of water for the event.

Rangaraju contrasted the expenditure on Kambala with the modest remuneration paid to folk artistes from different parts of the State, who participate in Dasara and their accommodation in basic facilities such as marriage halls. The controversy has not only brought into focus the historical and cultural justifications for introducing Kambala, but also the question of how resources should be allocated to new attractions and established traditional programmes and artistes.

Though Dasara has repeatedly adapted to changing times and embraced new audiences, technologies and cultural initiatives, the challenge before the organisers, it appears, is to ensure that innovations strengthen rather than overshadow the traditions that give Mysuru’s festival its distinctive identity.