Royal families of India to be invited for Mysore Dasara

With a view to making the annual Dasara festival in Mysore a grand spectacle of the bygone era, the Karnataka Government is planning to roll out a red carpet welcome for the members of royal families from all over the country.

The presence of members of princely families from different parts of India is expected to lend a royal touch to the Dasara festival, which will be celebrated with pomp and grandeur in Mysore during September this year.

Though the royal families from faraway princely states used to participate in the Dasara celebrations during the time of the erstwhile Maharajas of Mysore, the tradition of inviting them had been discontinued when the State Government began celebrating the festival after the end of monarchy.

“We will revive the practice of inviting scions of royal families from all over the country during this Dasara festival”, said Minister in charge of Mysore district Shobha Karandlaje after chairing a meeting of senior officials to chart out plans for the nine-day Dasara festival this year.

“We have sought a list of royal families from the Federal Government. There are around 350 royal families in India. Even if we are unable to accommodate members of all the royal families, a few select royals will be invited every year”, she said.

The Minister also observed that the “princesses” of the Wadiyar dynasty, the erstwhile royal family of Mysore, had been ignored during successive Dasara celebrations in Mysore.

“We have decided to extend a special invitation to the princesses of the royal family of Mysore to participate in the Dasara celebrations”, she said.
Shobha Karandlaje also said that the State Government was committed to restore the old glory of Dasara celebrations and the aesthetic charm associated with the Dasara events this year. “Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa has sanctioned an additional Rs 100 million to celebrate Dasara in grand style this year”, she said.