Actor-director V Ravichandran speaks at the inaugural event Thursday
As many as 62 cultural troupes and 10 tableaux participated, adding colour and grandeur to the celebrations. The four-day Srirangapatna Dasara festivities will conclude on Oct 18. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Mysuru | Silver Rate in Mysuru | Bank Holidays in Mysuru | Public Holidays in Mysuru Stay updated with the latest Mysuru news.
Elephant Dhananjaya carries the wooden howdah bearing Goddess Chamundeshwari during the Srirangapatna Dasara procession Actor-director V Ravichandran speaks at the inaugural event Thursday Elephant Dhananjaya carries the wooden howdah bearing Goddess Chamundeshwari during the Srirangapatna Dasara procession Actor-director V Ravichandran speaks at the inaugural event Thursday Mandya: Srirangapatna Dasara began Thursday with traditional religious rituals and a colourful procession, with elephant Dhananjaya successfully carrying the wooden howdah bearing Goddess Chamundeshwari for the first time. Renowned Kannada film actor and director V Ravichandran inaugurated the festival by offering floral tributes to Goddess Chamundeshwari during the auspicious Kumbha Lagna. Dhananjaya carried the nearly 500kg wooden howdah from Banni Mantap at Kiranguru on the outskirts of Srirangapatna through the nearly 5km procession. He stepped in after Mahendra was replaced following difficulties during rehearsals. Dhananjaya walked majestically through the streets without showing any signs of nervousness, earning admiration from spectators. His calm demeanour and steady gait marked a successful first outing in the ceremonial role. The inaugural ceremony was held at Banni Mantap in Kiranguru. The idol of Goddess Chamundeshwari, seated in the wooden Ambari, was worshipped by ministers, elected representatives and other dignitaries. District In-charge minister N Cheluvarayaswamy, agriculture minister PM Narendraswamy, municipal administration minister HC Balakrishna, Srirangapatna MLA AB Ramesh Bandisiddegowda, MLA Darshan Puttannaiah and MLC Dinesh Gooligowda were among those who offered floral tributes to the goddess. Deputy commissioner Kumara, SP VG Shobharani and additional DC BC Shivanandamurthy were present. Traditional rituals, including the Shami Vriksha Puja, were performed under the guidance of Bhanukrishna. Accompanied by female elephants Lakshmi and Roopa, Dhananjaya led the procession, which showcased the region’s rich cultural heritage and folk traditions. Download the TOI App.
Mahout Akram and his team played a key role in securely fastening the wooden howdah before the procession.