Srirangapatana Dasara inaugurated

Dasara celebrations at Srirangapatana in Mandya district were inaugurated on Friday and entailed a procession led by elephants.

The procession was flagged off by Kannada actor Shivarajkumar at Kiranguru Bannimantap who made floral offerings to goddess Chamundeshwari.

Elephant Mahendra had the honours of carrying the Ambari from Kiranguru to Sriranganathaswamy temple. There were a slew of tableaus and folk performances which were part of the procession including Puja Kunitha, Veeragase, Somana Kunitha, Dollu Kunitha, Tamate, Nandi Dhwaja Kunita, Garudi Gombe Kombu Kahale, Onkae Kunita etc besides the ensemble of traditional musicians playing nadaswara.

The tableau was from the Sericulture Department showcasing new developments in the field of silk production, students of Vidyabharathi school who projected Nava Durga, Department of Women and Child Welfare which showcased the guarantee schemes of the State government. The Department of Education depicted the Jnanpith awardees from the State.

Mr. Shivarajkumar who spoke during the inauguration recalled that Dasara used to be celebrated on a grand scale at Srirangapatana even before Mysuru and it was his privilege to take part in it.

The Mandya district in charge Minister N. Cheluvarayaswamy said that the celebrations this will be on a bigger scale compared to last year. He said there will be a slew of cultural programmes in Srirangapatana to mark Dasara during the next four days.

Revenue Minister Krishnabyre Gowda said that Dasara came to be celebrated in Srirangapatana after the downfall of Vijayanagara empire. But once the capital was shifted and the members of the royal family moved to Mysuru, Dasara also moved to the new capital. But it is in the fitness of things that Srirangapatana Dasara is also celebrated given its historicity, he added.

Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dinesh Gundu Rao, senior officials of the district administration, and others were present.

Published - October 04, 2024 08:35 pm IST