Festivals

India is a land of festivals and fairs.Every festival has some or the other traditional or religious importance.Every day of the year there is a festival celebrated in some part of the country. Some festivals welcome the seasons of the year, the harvest, the rains, or the full moon. Others celebrate religious occasions, the birthdays of divine beings, Saints, and gurus (the revered teachers), or the advent of the new year. A number of these festivals are common to most parts of India, however, they may be called by different names in the various parts of the country or may be celebrated in a different fashion.Every festival is celebrated in a unique style, and Mysore is no different, the most enjoyable ones include.....

Ugadi

Ugadi falls on the first day of the month of Chaitra, which marks the beginning of the Chandramana New Year in March-April. This festival is not associated with many rituals. After an oil bath, people wear new clothes, worship their deities and then eat a little quantity of mixture of neem juice, jaggery etc. This is to remind everyone that life is not a bed of roses but is a combination of happy and sorrowful events. Hearing of a new almanac is a significant event of the day. The agriculturists generally start their pre-sowing operations in the field on this day.

Dussera

Dussera is celebrated for 10 days from September end to early October. Although it is celebrated all over India, it has special significance in Mysore, South India. It symbolizes the victory of goddess Chamundeswari (Durga) over the demon Mahishasura. i.e. the victory of the good over the evil. Mysore palace is fully illuminated for a whole month. On the last day, with the accompaniment of a band colourfully bedecked elephant carrying the statue of goddess starts from the palace as a procession with palace chariots and units of the army through the city to Banni Mantap (where Banni tree is worshipped), about five kilometres away. In the evening, there is a torchlight parade by the horse mounted guards who provide an exciting display of horsemanship and the night ends with a great display of fireworks.

The Main Highlight:
Caparisoned elephants marching together in a procession are a unique feature of rhe Mysore Dassara. The festival is celebrated with a lot of pomp and show.
On Vijaydashami, the 10th day of the festival, a colourful procession featuring caparisoned elephants winding through the gaily-decorated streets of the city, mark the occasion.
The procession of mounted guardsmen on horse back and decorated elephants, one carrying the palace deity, Chamundeshwari, on a gold 'howdah' marches from the palace to the Banni Mantap.
There is also a floating festival in the temple tank at the foot of Chamundi Hill and a procession of chariots around the temple at the top. A torch light parade takes place in the evening followed by a massive firework display and much jubilation on the streets
Houses still follow the tradition of 'Bombe Habba', where children display their colourful and attractive dolls and invite friends over. Students worship Saraswathi, the Goddess of Learning.
Ayudha Pooja is also a part of the Dasara celebrations. All vehicles and and implements are worshipped on this day.

Kar Hunnive

This is observed on the Full moon day of Jyestha (June) by worshipping the bullocks and the agricultural implements. A special feast is prepared in the afternoon. In the evening a function called Karihariyodu is performed, in which the chief event is bullocks race. Many pairs of bullocks participate in the running race and the pair which come first is acclaimed by the public. If the bullocks which comes first are red or brown colour, it is supposed that red variety of jowar will grow in abundance during the ensuing season and if they are white in colour, white jowar is supposed to grow in plenty.