Mysuru: A tradition whose origins are lost in time, the Mysuru Dasara has, over the centuries, followed the template conceived by the Vijayanagar emperors (14th century AD to 17th century AD). This is also among the better documented traditions as evident in the writings of the medieval travellers, who visited the courts of the Vijayanagar rulers, some of whom have left detailed accounts.
Travellers like Abdur Razzak of Persia, Domingo Paes and Fernao Nuniz visited the Vijayanagar empire to leave behind a mass of literature and there are references to the “great feast that takes place for 9 days” during September in the writings of Paes, who is reckoned to have visited the kingdom in the early 16th century AD and by some accounts, wrote around 1520-22, about the contemporary ruler of the “kingdom of Bisnaga” (for Vijayanagar).
