Everyone banking on long weekend to swell Dasara crowds

The long weekend, starting tomorrow is likely to swell the Dasara crowds, which is yet to see a significant rise with the late evening rains playing a dampener.

It has been raining almost every evening, turning the programme venues slushy. Thunder warnings are forcing spectators to rush home. While at some open places the response is poor, two-three programmes like Yuva Dasara and Aahara Mela are attracting good crowds. Even at the palace premises too where cultural programmes are being held, the response has been lukewarm unlike the previous years. In the covered Jaganmohan Palace too, chairs were almost empty last evening.

Volunteers manning the Tourist Help Counters at the palace admitted that there were very few enquiries from tourists as their inflow from abroad and neighbouring states was not on the higher scale though it is already the seventh day of the 10-day celebrations. An official there too had a similar opinion.

The number of visitors to the palace has not shown a significant rise for the Dasara that began on September 25. The figures indicated a tourist flow of 12,185, 7,758 and 6,758 people over the last three days. The figures, however, did not include the gold card holders and those who have booked tickets online.

Tourists from neighbouring states like Kerala and Andhra Pradesh have, however, begun coming to the city. “This is the tourist season. So, tourists are visiting Mysore,” remarked a tourist guide.

It should be seen if the situation in the neighbouring Tamil Nadu following the arrest of former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa would impact the flow of visitors. However, a travel agent said, they had group bookings from there, both for hotel accommodation and transport.

“It is a mixed crowd of visitors from North and South. Tourists are coming to Mysore from neighbouring states too. All hotel rooms are booked,” he told Business Standard.

An official of the Mysore division of the South Western Railway told Business Standard that there was no drop in the Mysore-destination passengers from Tamil Nadu.

“It has probably affected some pockets, but passenger response continues to be as usual. Generally, the number of passengers travelling to Mysore rises about 10,000 during Dasara. This may happen from tomorrow onwards,” he said.

Generally, the flow of tourists rises chiefly during the last 2-3 days of the Dasara. With a long weekend commencing tomorrow, the flow of visitors is expected to pick up and peak on Vijaya Dasami on October 4. Starting with Gandhi Jayanti, the five-day public holiday ends on October 5, Sunday and Bakrid coinciding. The Karnataka government has declared October 6 as a public holiday for Bakrid.

About 40 foreigners had a taste of Mysore culture when the Dasara Tourism Sub-Committee honoured about 40 visitors at the palace premises by offering them the traditional Mysore turban and sandalwood garland by district incharge minister V Sreenivasa Prasad. The tourists, who included those from France, Spain and Italy, were given a free coach and tonga ride.