Mysuru decks up for Dussehra finale on Friday

Karnataka's City of Palaces has been decked up for the grand finale of the 10-day Dussehra fest on Friday, with lakhs expected to witness the victory parade, a district official said on Monday.

"The city has been seeing over a lakh visitors since the Dussehra festival began on October 10, and more people are expected on the final day of the fest to watch the victory parade," Mysuru's Additional Deputy Commissioner T. Yogesh told IANS.

The festival celebrates the triumph of good over evil and marks the slaying of legendary demon Mahishasura by Hindu Goddess Chamundeshwari.

The 10-day festival concludes with a spectacular victory parade of caparisoned elephants, horse-drawn carriages, thousands of artists, cultural troupes and tableaux marching through the city.

In view of the thousands visiting the city, about 150 kilometres southwest off Bengaluru, the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has deployed additional buses to ferry people to the city.

"At least 300 additional buses have been plying between Bengaluru and Mysuru to keep up with the demand," KSRTC Spokesperson T.S. Latha told IANS.

The state has also introduced "Hop-on Hop-off" bus service in Mysuru. Passenger can buy a ticket for Rs 150 and visit festive spots in the city.

Special express trains are also being run by the South Western Railway from Bengaluru and Shivamogga to Mysuru to tackle the rush during the festival.

As many as 3,500 police personnel have been deployed across the city to maintain law and order, and another 1,700 will be deployed during the last three days of the fest from Wednesday till Friday, Mysuru Police Commissioner A. Subrahmanyeswara Rao said.

Dussehra continues to be celebrated in Mysuru from 1610, the time of Vijayanagara Empire, to mark the triumph of good over evil.

On October 10, Infosys Foundation Chairperson Sudha Murty heralded the 408th year of the festival by worshipping the deity Chamundeshwari amid chanting of Vedic hymns, in the presence of Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and other state officials.

--IANS

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