The weekend before Dasara witnessed a sharp spurt of tourists in Mysuru with hotels reporting an occupancy ranging from 75 to 80 per cent on Saturday.
Even as the authorities were busy making last-minute preparations for Dasara, albeit a low-key one, with the officials of Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation (CESC) conducting a trial run of the illumination of an estimated 100 km of the roads in the city, tourists made a beeline to Mysuru.
With Saturday also a public holiday on account of Gandhi Jayanti followed by a Sunday, a large number of tourists had arrived in the city. “Our occupation was almost 75 to 80 per cent on Saturday. It, however, came down on Sunday”, said President of Hotel Owners’ Association of Mysuru K. Narayana Gowda.
Apart from hotel rooms, even restaurants reported a good footfall during the weekend while the roads witnessed a spurt in movement of vehicular traffic.
The number of visitors to the palace witnessed a substantial rise during the weekend. Deputy Director of Mysuru Palace Board T.S. Subramanya told The Hindu that the number of visitors to the Amba Vilas Palace on Saturday and Sunday was 9,194 and 8,103 respectively. In contrast, the visitors during the previous weekend – Saturday and Sunday – was 5,109 and 7,039 respectively.
A large number of visitors thronged the palace on Sunday evening to witness the illumination of the monument. The motorists passing through the main thoroughfares also enjoyed the lights that the CESC officials were checking as part of the trial runs on Saturday.
The number of tourists visiting the zoo also reported a rise on Saturday and Sunday.
