Mysore Dasara

All of a sudden I found myself in planning to go to Mysore to watch Dasara procession. Ended up going there. Started in the morning reached Kamath for breakfast and ? got a juice with a dead spider. Reached Mysore by afternoon. Tried to get a glimpse of the palace, but the crowd that assembled to see it was huge. To get in it needs a ticket which were sold off a month ago. Buses were parked all along its side for the spectators. To watch it from the top of bus it is 100 bucks per head. There was huge competition for that too. Standing on a bus in the sun for doesn’t look like a good idea. Went out and had lunch at RR. Later decided to go the Bannimantap where the procession ends to watch it there. But the auto driver told that it will be too late by the time it reaches that place. So again went back to catch the procession in the middle of the road somewhere.

Walked along the side of the procession way to find a good place to stand and watch and came to a junction where the view is better. After a wait of some 20 mins we saw the procession coming. And the starting itself was good. Then one by one all the display vehicles, horses, elephants and the folk dancer, musicians and people who do different kind of feats came along. 

The music, the beats, the dances they made was awesome. Witnessing something like that live is an experience that cannot be told. 

Also the Tejas (war plane), Tanks, Rocket launchers came in the procession. It was quite long may be it took almost 2 hours to pass through that junction where we are standing. Every one involved completely in the procession. From the people organizing it to the people who are playing music, dance one can see a complete involvement and joy of performing that. 

We saw a bomb detecting squad with all their instruments scanning the place so expected the end of procession is near. And then comes a Jammer with lot of security behind, all of them carrying automatic machine guns and heavily armed. At last the we could see Balaram carrying the God in the procession followed by huge swarm of ambulances, fire engines, police vehicles and what not :)

Went and did some shopping. From there planned to go to Bannimantapa to see the torchlight ceremony. After waiting in traffic jam for long, reached the place to find that we need a ticket to get in and they got over a week back. So went back to place to see its lighting. It amazing to see it with so many bulbs. May be all those bulbs can light the entire Mysore homes.

Returning back was a bit difficult with too much of traffic. Almost like on the Bangalore Ring Road but at a high speed. Had a nice dinner at McDonalds out in the nature with cool breeze. Returned to Bangalore safely by God’s Grace.

Here are few pics from the trip.

Dasara Procession

Making of Handicrafts

Palace Lights