Mysuru, wearing attractively got up looks, is once again witnessing advance action by both functionaries in the State Government and the city’s residents who are known to nurture festival-related customs that have endured for centuries and cherish the celebrations with undying enthusiasm. The once-in-a-year event, Navaratri in the orthodox circles and Dasara in public domain begins on 29th day of this month and concludes on 8th day of next month. While it is well nigh impossible to calculate the cash outgo for the celebrations from the citizens, individually as well as the many tradition-respecting groups, the State Government’s spend this time, as sanctioned, is reportedly 18.5 crore rupees. As usual, the post-festival days will witness criticism, observations and remarks with words of both adulation and accusation, particularly of the officialdom that are bound to pass into the record rooms of the media in due course of time. In this backdrop, the call by the District-in-Charge Minister to come up with unique and novel ideas from the officials to make the festival celebration grand augurs well for the city and its residents.
The annual festival’s core message being victory of good over evil, its celebration as Navaratri in 2010 marked its 400th anniversary, the tradition originating in the year 1610 during the rule of Raja Wadiyar (1578-1617), the then monarch of the Kingdom. Royal patronage for celebrating Navaratri having ceased, the scale of action now rests with the successive Governments, supplemented by people’s inputs. Has the festival’s message, mentioned above, lost its place in the glitz and glamour at present is for people to ponder.
