Mysuru: Mysuru district in-charge minister Dr Yathindra Siddaramaiah on October 1 invited Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot and Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara to attend the 2026 Mysuru Dasara celebrations.
Yathindra, accompanied by senior officials from the Mysuru district administration and the Dasara Reception Sub-Committee, travelled to Bengaluru to extend the formal invitations as preparations for the State’s flagship festival entered the final phase.
The 2026 Mysuru Dasara celebrations are scheduled to begin on October 11 and culminate with the Vijayadashami procession and Jumboo Savari on October 21. The district administration has stepped up arrangements across the city as the festival approaches.
Chief Minister receives formal invitation
Yathindra Siddaramaiah met Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar at his residence in Bengaluru and personally handed over the formal Dasara invitation.
The invitation included the tentative schedule of the festival programmes and details of the arrangements being made by the Mysuru district administration.
According to reports, the Chief Minister was in New Delhi for meetings with senior Congress leaders and had initially been unavailable. His office subsequently allotted time for the Mysuru delegation to meet him.
During the meeting, Yathindra also briefed the Chief Minister on the preparations for the celebrations and the arrangements planned for the various Dasara events.
The formal invitation comes as the administration works towards coordinating the large number of cultural, religious and public programmes associated with the annual festival.
Governor and Deputy CM also invited
The Mysuru delegation also met Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot at Lok Bhavan in Bengaluru and extended an invitation to him to attend the Dasara festivities.
Yathindra later met Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara and handed over the formal invitation to him as well.
The invitation process is part of the district administration’s preparations to bring together constitutional authorities, elected representatives, ministers, judicial officials and other dignitaries for the State festival.
The district team is also expected to meet other Cabinet Ministers, senior officials, judges and judicial officers as part of the invitation programme.
Senior officials accompany Yathindra
Several senior Mysuru district officials accompanied the minister during the invitation visits in Bengaluru.
The delegation included Mysuru Deputy Commissioner and Dasara Special Officer G. Lakshmikanth Reddy, Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer S. Ukesh Kumar, Mysuru City Police Commissioner Seema Latkar, Additional Deputy Commissioner R. Aishwarya and Chamundeshwari Temple Development Authority Secretary M.J. Roopa.
Their presence reflects the involvement of multiple departments in organising the festival, particularly in areas such as security, civic infrastructure, traffic management, cultural programmes and arrangements for visiting dignitaries.
The district administration has been holding preparations and coordination meetings ahead of the festival to ensure that the different events are conducted according to schedule.
Yathindra was first invited on September 28
The latest invitation programme follows an earlier event in Mysuru on September 28, when the district administration formally invited Yathindra Siddaramaiah himself.
Deputy Commissioner Lakshmikanth Reddy and other officials handed over the Dasara invitation to Yathindra at the newly constructed residence of his father and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in Kuvempunagar.
Yathindra was in Mysuru that day for a programme involving Dasara elephant mahouts and kavadis and later attended the inauguration of Yuva Sambhrama.
Before the invitation was presented, officials had also visited Chamundi Hill Temple and sought the deity’s blessings for the successful conduct of the festival. The Dasara invitation was placed before the deity and a puja was performed.
The formal invitation to the district in-charge minister marked the beginning of the district administration’s wider invitation programme for Dasara 2026.
Invitation to Dasara inaugurator
The district administration is also preparing to invite Sri Abhinava Gavisiddheshwara Mahaswamiji of Gavimath in Koppal to inaugurate the 2026 Dasara festivities.
According to the latest schedule, the Mysuru delegation is expected to visit Gavimath on October 3 to extend the formal invitation to the seer.
The Dasara celebrations are scheduled to be inaugurated on October 11, after which a series of cultural and traditional programmes will be held across Mysuru.
The festival will culminate on October 21 with Vijayadashami and the traditional Jumboo Savari, one of the central attractions of Mysuru Dasara.
Dasara preparations gather pace
The invitation programme comes at a time when preparations for Dasara have intensified across Mysuru.
The district administration is coordinating arrangements for cultural events, Yuva Sambhrama, religious programmes, public celebrations, traffic management, security and the main Vijayadashami procession.
The participation of senior State leaders and constitutional authorities is also expected to require detailed security and protocol arrangements.
The Mysuru City Police and other departments are working alongside the district administration to manage the movement of dignitaries and large crowds expected during the festival.
The administration is also coordinating with various Dasara sub-committees responsible for individual programmes and logistical arrangements.
Dasara to culminate with Jumboo Savari
The grand finale of Mysuru Dasara will be held on October 21 with the Vijayadashami procession and Jumboo Savari.
The procession will feature the Dasara elephants, including the elephant carrying the Golden Howdah containing the idol of Goddess Chamundeshwari.
The ceremonial events surrounding the Jumboo Savari require coordination between the Palace authorities, district administration, police, forest officials, mahouts, kavadis and other departments.
The traditional 21-round cannon salute is also scheduled to precede the Jumboo Savari. Seven Palace cannons will fire three rounds each, with the firing planned to coincide with the National Anthem.
Dry runs for the cannon salute began as part of preparations for the final ceremony, including exercises intended to familiarise the Dasara elephants and horses with the sound of the ceremonial firing.
Officials focus on final preparations
With the festival only days away, the district administration is now concentrating on completing arrangements and coordinating the various programmes.
The invitation to the Governor, Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister is part of the formal protocol preceding the State festival.
Further invitations are expected to be extended to other senior political leaders, Cabinet Ministers, judges, judicial officers and officials.
The administration is also preparing for the arrival of thousands of visitors during the festival period, with arrangements required across accommodation, transport, sanitation, traffic and public safety.
Conclusion
Mysuru district in-charge minister Dr Yathindra Siddaramaiah has invited Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot and Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara to the 2026 Mysuru Dasara celebrations. The invitation programme comes as the district administration intensifies preparations for the festival, which will culminate with the Vijayadashami Jumboo Savari on October 21.