In view of COVID-19, the celebration of Mahisha Dasara will be restricted to offering floral tributes to the statue of Mahishasura atop Chamundi Hills on October 15.
Briefing reporters on Sunday, former Mayor of Mysuru Purshothama said the Mahisha Dasara Organising Committee had sought permission to celebrate Mahisha Dasara to remember the forgotten pride of ancient Mysuru.
The Organizing Committee of Mahisha Dasara had written to the previous Deputy Commissioner B. Sharat as well as the present Deputy Commissioner Rohini Sindhuri, besides City Police Commissioner Chandragupta seeking permission to observe Mahisha Dasara on October 15.
“We were confident of receiving permission for the celebration in line with our constitutional and democratic rights,” Mr. Purushothama said adding that the celebrations will be restricted to offering floral tributes. “There will be no stage or any public function in view of COVID-19. The gathering will also be restricted to the number of people permitted by the District Administration and the Health Department officials,” he said.
Mr. Purushotham said they have been celebrating Mahisha Dasara for the last seven years including last year when it was opposed and the event atop Chamundi Hills was cancelled.
“But, we held the programme at Ambedkar Park in Ashokapuram last year and later took out a procession through several streets of the city,” he said.
Meanwhile, writer K.S. Bhagwan, who was also present at the briefing, regretted that Mahishasura had been depicted as an evil person. On the contrary, Mahishasura was an ideal ruler of the then Mysuru region, who followed Buddhism. The region was first called Mahisha Mandala before it became Mahishapura and eventually Mysuru, Prof. Bhagwan said, before wondering why anybody would name Mysuru after Mahishasura if he were evil.
