Celebrated in the royal city of Mysore, this festival of Mysore Dussehra traces its roots back to the early 1600s. This was a timeline when the then Maharaja, King Wodeyar had started organising this event annually. The dates for Mysore Dussehra 2020 are from 17th October - 27th October.
Mysore Dussehra honours Goddess Chamundeswari of the Chamundi Hills on slaying the demon Mahishasur who was considered as one of the most dreaded Asuras in Hinduism. It is also to be noted that this festival is celebrated for the whole nine nights of Navaratri as compared to the usual Dussehra celebrations which are only celebrated for just a single day.
On the pious occasion of the festival, the Mysore Palace is lit by 1,00,000 light bulbs. Apart from that, the Golden Throne is also taken out from the storage and is then assembled in the Durbar Hall for public viewing.
However, the main event takes place on the last day of this festival. One can witness the streets of Mysore Palace swept with a beautiful traditional procession which includes the idol of Goddess Chamundeshwari. The idol is worshipped privately first by the royal family and then carried atop a beautifully decorated elephant.
Apart from that, one can also see colourful floats and troupes accompanying it. In the evening, there is even a torch-light parade which takes place at the Bannimantap grounds located on the outskirts of the city.
Other highlights of the Mysore Dussehra include various fireworks happening along with daredevil stunts on motorcycles as well as a laser show, sporting events like wrestling, vintage car rally and so much more.