MYSURU: The grand Jumboo Savari, the centrepiece of Mysuru Dasara celebrations, will be held on October 21, with the procession scheduled to begin between 4.10 pm and 4.35 pm from Mysore Palace. Preparations are in full swing at the Palace and along the five-kilometre procession route leading to the Torchlight Parade Grounds in Bannimantap.

Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar will participate in the festivities for the first time since assuming office. He will offer flower petals to Goddess Chamundeshwari, whose idol will be placed inside the 750-kg Golden Howdah carried by elephant Prashantha.

Chief Minister to perform Nandi Dhwaja Puja

The day’s ceremonies will begin with the Nandi Dhwaja Puja at the Balarama Gate of Mysore Palace, near Kote Anjaneyaswamy Temple. The ritual is scheduled between 1.36 pm and 1.56 pm.

The Chief Minister will later join other dignitaries on a specially erected podium at the Palace to shower flower petals on the idol of Goddess Chamundeshwari. Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara, Mysuru-Kodagu MP and titular head of the Mysore royal family Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, district in-charge Minister Yathindra Siddaramaiah, Kannada and Culture Minister Shivaraj Thangadagi and Karnataka High Court Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru are among those expected to attend. Krishnaraja MLA T.S. Srivatsa will preside over the event.

Chief Ministers from Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, along with the Chief Minister of Puducherry, are also expected to attend, according to the report.

Prashantha to carry the Golden Howdah

All eyes will be on Prashantha, the newly designated captain of the Dasara elephant squad, as he carries the Golden Howdah during the procession.

Another significant moment will be the participation of Abhimanyu as the ‘Nishane Aane’. The celebrated elephant, who has carried the Golden Howdah six times, is scheduled to perform the role for the last time during this year’s Jumboo Savari.

The procession will also feature 53 tableaux representing 18 districts of Karnataka, neighbouring States Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the Tibetan Settlement, Tulu Nadu and the Tourism Department, among others.

For the first time, tableaux representing the Indian Army, Air Force and Navy will be part of the procession. Cultural and folk troupes from Karnataka and other parts of the country will also perform, while Kannada film personalities are expected to join the procession on an open-top Ambaari bus.

Five-kilometre route being readied

Preparatory work is progressing along the five-kilometre route from the North Gate of Mysore Palace to the Bannimantap Torchlight Parade Grounds. Workers are erecting barricades on both sides of the route to prevent people from entering the procession path.

The final rehearsal was conducted at Mysore Palace ahead of the main event. Twelve of the 13 elephants took part, while Dhananjaya, the designated reserve elephant, did not participate. Cannons were not fired during the rehearsal.

The rehearsal was conducted before the air show to avoid disturbing the elephants with the sound of jets. Forest Department officials and other officers attended the exercise.

Ayudha Puja rituals at Palace on October 20

Ayudha Puja rituals at Mysore Palace will begin at 6 am on October 20. Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar will perform the Chandika Homa at the Kalyana Mantapa.

The royal elephant, Nishane Aane, the royal cow, horse and camel, along with the royal sword and other personal weapons, will be part of the traditional rituals. The royal entourage and weapons will then be taken in a procession to Kodi Someshwara Temple for puja before returning to the Kalyana Mantapa. The rituals will conclude with Poornahuti, the final offering into the sacred fire.

With the preparations nearing completion, Mysuru is getting ready for the grand Vijayadashami procession, which draws visitors to witness the city’s royal traditions, decorated elephants, tableaux and cultural performances.