Mysuru Dasara, which is also called Nada Habba (State festival), got off to a traditional start atop Chamundi Hills here on Wednesday, with Sudha Murty, writer and chairperson of Infosys Foundation, Bengaluru, inaugurating the 10-day festivities by lighting the lamp and offering flowers to the idol of Goddess Chamundeshwari.
Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and his Cabinet colleagues G.T. Deve Gowda, Jaimala, S.R. Mahesh, Rajashekar Patil, MP for Mysuru Pratap Simha, State JD(S) president A.H. Vishwanath, and MLAs from Mysuru and witnessed the inauguration.
Prior to this, Ms. Murty, her husband and Infosys founder N.R. Narayana Murthy and other family members, Mr. Kumaraswamy and some other dignitaries offered special prayers at the temple.
The inauguration of the festivities set the ball rolling for a slew of cultural and sporting events — Dasara Flower Show, Dasara Sports, Dasara Food Festival, Dasara Film Festival, Dasara Exhibition, and Dasara Wrestling, to name a few.
Ms. Murty is the first woman to inaugurate the festivities in decades. Thanking Mr. Kumaraswamy and his government for inviting her to do the honours, she said: “I consider myself fortunate for having got the opportunity to inaugurate the festivities, which have a history of many centuries.”
Recalling the history of the celebrations from the time of the Vijayanagara rulers to the Mysore kings, she said Dasara was also celebrated as “Mahanavami Habba” and the famous “Mahanavami Dibba” can be seen even now in Hampi, which was the former capital of the Vijayanagara empire. Music, dance, and other cultural events have been associated with the festivities for ages. “I recall my grandmother’s words on how the festival was celebrated during their time,” Ms. Murty said.
Chronicling the contributions of the Mysore kings towards the growth of the State, Ms. Murty said their services were incredible and their philanthropy remembered even today.
In his speech, Mr. Kumaraswamy described Ms. Murty as a “rare personality” with the heart of a mother. “We invited her to inaugurate the festivities seeing her humanitarian and selfless service all these years,” he said. He also described her husband as the “simplest person” he has come across.
Gift for Kodagu
The inauguration of Mysuru Dasara came with a special gift for the people of Kodagu, who were hit by floods and landslips recently. Infosys Foundation has announced a grant of ₹25 crore for construction of houses in the district.
In her address, Ms. Murty said her foundation would build houses for the distressed people of flood-ravaged Kodagu if the government came forward with land for it. She also promised to contribute more for restoring the Hebbal lake in Mysuru, on whose rejuvenation the foundation is spending ₹35 crore. Ms. Murty is the first woman to inaugurate the Mysuru Dasara festivities in decades.