Bangalore: Noted Kannada playwright and Jnanpith awardee Girish Karnad was officially invited to inaugurate the Dasara festivities here on August 20 by the state government.
Speaking to the reporters he said, “This is a joyous moment in my life, I am left emotional”, he said.
Earlier CM Siddaramaiah said that the government would extend a formal invitation to Karnad for the 10-day Mysore Dasara which will begin on September 25.
The chief minister further said that the government is expected to spend 12 crore on the festivities compared to 10 crore spent last year. “There is no dearth of funds…We will celebrate Dasara in a grand scale by making it people’s Dasara. Cultural programmes will also be held in Chamarajanagar and Mandya districts”, he added.