Mysuru Dasara: The Golden Festival

There is often a cliche associated with classrooms - that the quite, disinterested & seemingly dull 'backbenchers' often end up doing the more extraordinary things in life. In the class of Indian cities, Mysuru can definitely be counted as a backbencher.

Eminent among historians for lending its name to the Kingdom of Mysore, the city has admittedly dwindled in relevance over the past few decades, often being overshadowed by the nearby Indian technology super-giant Bengaluru.

But almost every resident of Mysuru that I know of has no qualms about it. Between polluted urban luxuries and remote rural scarcities, Mysuru has found a beautiful optimal balance. Its fast-paced development has managed to sustain a peaceful lifestyle for its citizens. It represents a delightful amalgamation of technology & tradition, growth & history. It is neither a mega city nor a peaceful village, it is a one-of-a-kind peaceful city.

However, once a year, the shy little cocoon bursts opens and reveals a grandiosity which almost no other megalopolis can match. Once a year, the unheralded city's name becomes the talk of the nation. Once a year, on the auspicious festival day of Dasara, the city transforms into the most majestic gathering anywhere in the globe for that single day.

Mysuru's Dasara celebration is visited by a myriad of communities across India, perhaps even the world. Having never experienced it myself, I decided to attend this year's festivities. It was much later that I realized that last-minute planning to attend the country's most crowded Dasara celebrations might have been a bad idea.

Nevertheless, what I was able to see made the one-day trip more than worthwhile. On the day of Vijayadashami, the last and most special day of the festival, I reached the city in the morning and could immediately sense delirium brewing throughout the city, like lava bubbling in a volcano. The roads were relatively empty, police were on standby, decorations & banners were in place and there was a palpable excitement breezing in the air. By midday, it all broke loose when the jamboree commenced.

Imagine a 5 km long street in the heart of the city, barricaded on either side and surrounded by a humongous crowd of people throughout its entire length. The bustling movements of pumped onlookers trying to find a good view; the loud and undying noise of everyone clapping, shouting, cheering, whistling and talking; the dazzling blend of multi-colored attires enveloping the street like a rainbow in the sky. Such was the experience, even before the main highlights arrived.

From the Mysuru palace, countless tableaux started their journey and moved onto the middle open section of the 5 km long procession street. They were beautiful giant depictions of different aspects, cultures, places & people of Karnataka. Each tableau was accompanied by several musicians & dancers performing traditional songs & dances. For Kannadigas, it was a very proud moment to watch the cultural beauty of their state hogging the limelight on a national platform.

It was almost a four hour show, with tableaux after tableaux passing the overjoyed onlookers. Each drumbeat was matched by equally intense claps, cheers & whistles from the excited people, each dance was supported by a rapturous applause. Each performer in the middle of the street made sure that the onlookers on either side enjoyed the celebrations to the fullest. Horses, bulls & various circus acts followed and added to the fun. It was a wondrous & unified display of pride among the people of Karnataka.

This year's celebration was made exponentially more special due to a very recent news - that the King & Queen of Mysore were blessed with their second child the previous day. Even though the royal family no longer held governance over the region, they were still deeply respected by the locals. It was, after all, the royal lineage which united the prosperous Kingdom of Mysuru. In recent times, many kings had even advocated the art & culture of the city, especially the world-famous Mysuru Silk. It was also the royal family's patronage which ensured that the four-hundred year old annual Mysuru Dasara celebrations did not go extinct.

Towards the end of the procession, as the natural daylight faded, the city lights turned on. And the entire city was illuminated with a heavenly golden radiance. It was as if fireflies had swarmed the skies. It was as if Diwali had come early for Mysuru. The procession street was lit up and the crowd cheered in delight.

The people stood for the next hour in anticipation of the final and most important part of the procession. The holy deity of the Chamundeshwari Temple was arriving. It would be seated in Ambari, a mantapa weighing 750 kilograms of pure gold. The famous Mysuru Dasara elephant was to carry the mantapa.

The crowd, by this time, had swollen up so much that the main street was barely visible for many onlookers including myself. Gaps between the people's necks and hands was the only way to see ahead. People were climbing on top of trucks, cars, walls and gates. People could be seen on the terraces and by the windows of neighboring buildings. But even among the physical chaos and low visibility, the imminent arrival of the deity was evident due to the increasing noise levels being heard from down the street. Finally, it could be seen.

Shining brighter than the golden-yellow lighting above the street, the deity became visible high in the sky as it passed across the thousands of devotees who bowed and folded their hands in utmost devotion to Goddess Chamundeshwari. The people of Mysuru would not get a better look at the idol than this moment. The gargantuan elephant slowly moved onward, giving every eager eye enough time to soak in the divinity of the Goddess.

By the time the idol completed its 5 km long journey, one could truly start appreciating how charming the city of Mysuru was lit in beautiful golden symmetric patterns. Almost every street near the palace was adorned as beautifully as a bride. The streetlights, windows, trees and pavements glowed in brilliant chrome. The Mysuru Palace was the cynosure for the entire city's lighting - its walls and roofs were so heavily decorated with lighting that it almost looked like paint. It felt as if the Mysuru city was beaming with golden life, with the palace at its heart.

This was more than a religious ceremony. This was more than a fancy parade. This was more than a light show. This was the most important day of the year for Mysuru. It was the day that the silent backbencher stood up in class and did something extraordinary.