Dasara programmes get last minute touch

With hardly seven days to go for the Mysore’s mega celebrations, the Dasara, programmes are getting final touches with sub-committees finalising various cultural, sports and other events for the 10-day event.

Locals and visitors will be witnessing performances from popular artistes in the Yuva Janata, which has been gaining in popularity in the recent years.

This year, performances of popular music director and singer Shankar Mahadevan, drummer Shivamani and pop singer Vasundhara Das are likely to draw big crowds. The Yuva Dasara will take off with the former Indian cricketer Vijay R Bharadwaj inaugurating it on October 1. Vasundhara will perform on the opening day.

Punjabi singer Kailash Kher and troupe will perform on October 2. A Bharatanatyam performance by Danseuse Kripa Phadke and troupe and a Hindustani music programme by Pune’s Hindustani troupe are listed on the evening of October 3. Shankar Mahadevan will perform on October 4 followed by a ‘jugalbandi’ by Shivamani and flautist Praveen Godkhindi on October 5. On the last day, singer Ramesh Krishnan will perform.

As in the last few years, music, dance and theatre performances will take place at Veene Sheshanna Bhavan, Kala Mandira, Jaganmohan Palace and Natana Rangamandira from September 30 for art lovers in different areas of the city. Town Hall will be the venue for dramas.

Another star attraction of the Dasara will be the participation of Beijing Olympic medalists Abhinav Bindra, Vijender Singh and Sushil Kumar on September 30.

The state government has invited Bindra, who won the gold medal at the Beijing Olympics, for inaugurating the Dasara sports event. boxer Vijender Singh and wrestler Sushil Kumar are to declare open the wrestling tournament.

Kannada cine actor K S Aswath will inaugurate the Dasara cultural programmes at the main venue, the Mysore Palace premises on September 30.

The city is being spruced up with Dasara-related civic works for Rs 7.65 crore. The state government has sanctioned Rs 10 crore and has released Rs 5 crore towards road improvements, renovation of buildings, and white washing of the historical buildings, which are in progress.

The Dasara preparations are not without criticism. The appointment of officials lacking experience in planning and execution of the city’s historic celebrations, delay in appointment of committees and finalising programmes, lack of representation to experienced persons and members from parties other than the BJP, and poor publicity due to last minute decisions have come in for criticism from different quarters over the last few days.

The assurance held out by chief minister B S Yeddyurappa sometime back that the Dasara festivities will have a permanent set up from this year, to ensure its better planning, is yet to see the light of the day.

District incharge minister’s announcement to change the historic order of the Dasara procession by making the howdah elephant lead the Vijaya Dasami procession, instead of coming at the end, had come in for strong opposition at the outset. The proposal was dropped subsequently.

The latest to criticise the arrangements is former minister H S Mahadevaprasad. He has lashed out at the state government for the lack of transparency and clarity in the conduct of the festivities.

“The government has failed to take steps to promote tourism in and around the city and neighbouring districts, synchronising with the Dasara. It has also failed to come out with programmes well in advance,” the Gundlupet MLA said.