Dussehra festival is celebrated in an extravagant manner in Karnataka or to be more precise in Mysore. Locally the festival celebration is called “Nadahabba”.
The Royal family of Mysore takes a keen interest and active participation in the celebrations of the Dussehra festival. It is a ten days long festival out of which the first six days are dedicated to Goddess Saraswati, the goddess of learning. The eighth day is dedicated to Goddess Durga. While the ninth day is the day of the goddess of wealth, Lakshmi. On the tenth day a big lively procession goes from the Mysore Palace to Bannimantap.
On the days of Dussehra festival, there is a flood of light everywhere. The Mysore Palace glows. The city becomes a majestic paradise. The feeling of joy can be felt in the air.
- To mark the beginning of the Dussehra festival the king takes a ceremonial bath and then worship the royal deity in the palace.
- He then worships the navagrahas or the nine sacred deities as well as the sacred `kalasa'.
- The king then adorns the throne. All the palace lights are candled followed by a 21 gun salute to the royal emblem.
- The king is then presented the sword .
- The king then greets his guests and takes the blessings of the palace priests.
Numbers of ornamented horses, folk dancers, courtiers, nobles, soldiers as well as the visitors join the procession. The procession starts from the Mysore palace and goes through the city onto the backdrop of the Chamundi hills.
The Dussehra festival has a closing ceremony with cultural programs, gymnastic and horseback rider events. Then there is a torch light tattoo and fireworks.
