Colourful end to Mysuru Dasara

October 11, 2016

Mysuru, Oct 11: Curtains came down on the traditional 11-day Dussehra festivities here today, with an impressive "jumbo savari" (procession of caparisoned elephants) witnessed by tens of thousands amidst rain, marking the grand finale.

Celebrated as "naada habba" (state festival), the event showcased Karnataka's cultural heritage resplendent with folk art forms, as 'Arjuna' led the other richly embellished elephants through the more than 5-km route from Mysuru Palace to Bannimantapa.

The procession of the 406th edition of 'Mysuru Dasara' commenced with Chief Minister Siddaraamih performing puja to Nandi Dhwaja' around 2.16 PM during the auspicious Makara langa'. This was followed by a roll out of tableaux from different districts and departments, and police contingents marching to the band tune.

Thousands of people from the city and tourists from outside the state lined up the streets as 'Arjuna', carrying the idol of goddess Chamundeshwari in a 750-kg golden howdah, found its way majestically from the grand Mysuru Palace to the terminating point.

The "Jumbo savari" observed in the royal style since the days of the erstwhile Mysuru Maharajas, began with Siddaramaiah showering petals on goddess Chamundeshwari, the presiding deity of the historical city, amidst the gun salute.

Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wodeyar, the scion of the erstwhile Mysuru Royal family, was conspicuous by his absence at the event to shower petals on the goddess.

It has been a practice for the Royal family scions to accompany the Chief Minister at the event.

During the eleven-day long festivities at the Palace, Yaduveer, the 27th King of Wodeyar dynasty, ascended the golden throne during the 'khasa (private) durbar', which is reminiscent of the bygone era.

Though the recent raging Cauvery water sharing issue with neighbouring Tamil Nadu had affected tourist flow to Mysuru, officials said it has picked up in the last couple of days.

Elaborate security arrangements had been made by police for the event following the recent blast at a court premises here.

Comments

Add new comment

Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.

QR-code tips power Mangaluru's major drug bust: 25 arrested in 2 weeks

News Network

December 16,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 16: The Mangaluru City police have significantly escalated their campaign against drug trafficking, arresting 25 individuals and booking 12 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act between November 30 and December 13. The crackdown resulted in the seizure of a substantial quantity of illicit substances, including 685.6 grams of MDMA and 1.5 kg of ganja.

The success of this recent drive has been significantly boosted by the city’s innovative, QR code-based anonymous reporting system.

"The anonymous reporting system has received an encouraging response. Several recent arrests were made based on inputs received through this system, helping police tighten the noose around drug peddlers," said the City Police Commissioner.

The latest arrests contribute to a robust year-to-date record, underscoring the police's relentless commitment to combating the drug menace.

Up to December 14 this year, the police have registered a total of 107 cases of drug peddling, leading to the arrest of 219 peddlers. Furthermore, they have booked 562 cases of drug consumption, resulting in the arrest of 671 individuals.

The scale of the seizure for the year reflects the magnitude of the problem being tackled: police have seized 320.6 kg of ganja worth ₹88.7 lakh and 1.4 kg of MDMA valued at ₹1.2 crore. Other significant seizures include hydro-weed ganja worth ₹94.7 lakh and cocaine worth ₹1.9 lakh, among others.

The Commissioner emphasized a policy of rigorous enforcement: "We ensure that peddlers are caught red-handed so that they cannot later dispute the case or claim innocence."

To counter the rising trend of substance abuse among youth, the Mangaluru City police have rolled out uniform guidelines for random drug testing across educational institutions.

As part of the drive, tests were conducted in approximately 100 institutions, screening an estimated 5,500 to 6,000 students in the first phase. 20 students tested positive for drug consumption during the initial screening.

Students who tested positive have been provided counselling and are scheduled for re-testing in the second quarter. The testing will also be expanded to students not covered in the first phase. In a move to ensure strict implementation, police personnel were deployed in mufti in some institutions. Reiterating a zero-tolerance stance, the Commissioner confirmed that random testing will continue, and colleges have also been instructed to conduct drug tests at the time of admission to deter substance abuse from an early stage.

Comments