Govt does U-turn; Jamboo Savari on October 23

Mysuru, Oct 5: Jamboo Savari, the finale of Dasara festivities, will be held on October 23 — as decided earlier — as the State government backtracked on its decision to advance the event to October 22 following opposition from the erstwhile royal family.

This means that the festivities will last for 11 days this year, from October 13 to October 23.

The government had, on Saturday, decided to reschedule the event– to advance the inauguration from October 14 to 13 and the Jamboo Savari from October 23 to 22, as Vijayadashami gets over by 5 am on October 23.

However, the move evoked opposition from the erstwhile royal family and the public. Pramodadevi Wadiyar, the wife of the late Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar on Sunday insisted that the Jamboo Savari be held on October 23 and not on October 22.

She made her views clear at a meeting with District In-charge Minister Srinivas Prasad at the family’s private residence on the palace premises on Sunday.

Priests and astrologers of the family took part in the meeting, which lasted for over two hours.

Prasad later said that those advising the erstwhile royal family on such matters were the same as those advising the government.

At the meeting, it was conveyed to Prasad that various rituals are held by the erstwhile royal family on the palace premises on the day of the Ayudha Puja (October 22) till 6 pm. Organising Jamboo Savari on that day would cause inconvenience to them.

He said the government does not want to enter into a confrontation with the Wadiyar family. So, it was decided to hold Ayudha Puja on October 22 and Vijayadashami on October 23.

There will no programme from the side of the government on October 22.

The minister also formally invited Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, scion of the erstwhile royal family, for the festivities by adorning him with a Mysore peta and a shawl at Pramodadevi’s presence. An honorarium of Rs 30 lakh was handed over to him as per custom, towards the golden howdah provided by the family for Jamboo Savari.

Pramodadevi has expressed happiness over the government’s decision. She said the government had understood the inconvenience that may be caused to the royal family and had responded positively. It is a mutually acceptable decision, she added.

In a first for the scion of the royal family, Yaduveer will take part in the inauguration of the festivities atop the Chamundi Hill on October 13.

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.

Major facelift for Mangaluru's sporting heart: Mangala Stadium set for 2-month closure to upgrade synthetic track

News Network

December 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Educational institutions in Mangaluru that rely on the popular Mangala Stadium for their annual sports events are bracing for an inconvenience as the city's key sporting venue is set to close its gates for a significant upgrade. The stadium is expected to be unavailable for approximately two months starting from January 15, 2026.

The closure is necessitated by a proposed overhaul of the stadium's facilities, with a special focus on upgrading the synthetic track. Pradeep Dsouza, Assistant Director of the District of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES), Dakshina Kannada, confirmed the development.

"Experts have visited the stadium, conducted a thorough inspection, and have given the go-ahead for a complete makeover," Dsouza stated. "Funds have been allocated for the project, and we are currently awaiting the final green signal from state officials to commence the work. We anticipate that the work will likely begin in the second week of January. Consequently, we have stopped renting out the stadium to colleges and other organizations in preparation for the upgrade."

The timing presents a logistical challenge for colleges, as many schools have already concluded their sports meets.

"Colleges will now be organizing their events and will need to find alternative locations to host their sports meets," Dsouza added. He suggested a few potential venues, including the Dakshina Kannada police ground, University College grounds, Panambur grounds, Swaraj Maidan in Moodbidri, and the Mangalore University sports grounds in Konaje.

However, many institutions note that finding a comparable venue will be difficult. While the DK police ground and University College grounds are closer to the city center, they do not possess the extensive facilities and infrastructure offered by Mangala Stadium.

Dr. P Dayananda Pai - P Satisha Govt First Grade College, Carstreet, is one such institution dependent on the stadium. Principal Jayakar Bhandary expressed hope for a swift completion of the work. "We expect the work to be completed at the earliest. If not, we will be forced to look for other venues to host the sports day for our students," Bhandary said, highlighting the pressing need for the city's main sporting facility.

Comments