# Mysuru Dasara: Karnataka's royal festival > Mysuru Dasara is Karnataka's state festival (Nadahabba), held over the ten days of Navratri in Mysuru. It begins with worship of the goddess Chamundeshwari on Chamundi Hill, lights up Mysuru Palace every evening, and ends on Vijayadashami with the Jamboo Savari, a procession in which the goddess rides through the city in a golden howdah on an elephant, followed by a torchlight parade. The 2026 festival opens on Sunday 11 October; check the official schedule for the procession day. Source: https://pujoparikramaguide.in/navratri/mysuru-dasara/ (updated 2026-10-06) **Mysuru Dasara** is Karnataka's *Nadahabba*, its state festival: ten days of worship, music and pageantry in the old royal city of Mysuru (Mysore), ending with an elephant carrying the goddess through the streets. It is the best known Dasara in south India and draws visitors from across the country. ## Mysuru Dasara 2026 dates The festival opens on **Sunday 11 October 2026**, the first day of Navratri, with a puja to the goddess **Chamundeshwari** at her temple on Chamundi Hill. It runs through the nine nights and ends with the **Jamboo Savari** on **Vijayadashami**. Mysuru follows its own panchanga, and 2026 reports differ on whether the procession falls on **20 or 21 October**, so check the official schedule from the Mysuru district administration before you book travel. ## A royal festival The Wadiyar kings of Mysore began celebrating Dasara as a royal festival in the early 17th century, taking up the great Mahanavami celebrations of the Vijayanagara empire before them. The goddess at its heart is **Chamundeshwari**, the form of Durga who killed the buffalo demon Mahishasura; the city's name is often traced to him. Today the festival is organised by the Karnataka government, while the Wadiyar family still holds a private *durbar* (royal court) in the palace on the festival days. ## What happens during the ten days - **Palace illumination.** Every evening, Mysuru Palace and the main streets around it are lit with tens of thousands of bulbs. The palace lights are the single most photographed sight of the festival. - **Cultural programmes.** Classical music and dance on stages in the palace grounds and across the city, with folk performances, a film festival, *Yuva Dasara* concerts and traditional wrestling (*kusti*). - **The Dasara exhibition.** A large fair of stalls, rides and food runs for weeks at the exhibition grounds near the palace. - **Elephant preparation.** The procession elephants arrive from forest camps weeks before (the *Gaja Payana*) and are trained in the city to get used to the crowds and the noise. Watching their morning walks is a quieter way to see them. - **Ayudha Puja.** On Navami, the royal weapons, vehicles and the palace elephants are worshipped, as tools and vehicles are across Karnataka (see [Ayudha Puja](/navratri/ayudha-puja-vidyarambham/)). ## The Jamboo Savari On Vijayadashami afternoon, after a ceremonial worship at the palace, an idol of Chamundeshwari is placed in the **golden howdah** on the back of the lead elephant. The procession sets out from the palace and winds about five kilometres through the city to **Bannimantap**, with decorated elephants, horses, tableaux (*stabdha chitras*) from every district, police bands, and folk dancers. In the evening, the **torchlight parade** (*Panjina Kavayathu*) at the Bannimantap grounds closes the festival with drills, stunts on horseback and fireworks. ## Practical tips - **Book early.** Hotels in Mysuru fill quickly for the last three days. - **Passes.** The route is free to watch from the roadside, but seats inside the palace and at Bannimantap need passes, sold by the district administration closer to the festival. - **Arrive early.** Crowds on the procession route build from late morning; find a spot well before the procession leaves. - **Evenings for the lights.** Plan at least one evening in front of the palace when the lights come on. ## Mysuru Dasara and Durga Puja The two festivals honour the same victory, Durga over Mahishasura, in very different styles: a royal procession in Mysuru, and neighbourhood pandals in Kolkata. In Karnataka homes the season is also *Gombe Habba*, the doll display described in the [Golu guide](/navratri/golu/). For the whole picture, see [Navratri across India](/navratri/across-india/) and [Dussehra](/navratri/dussehra-vijayadashami/). ## Frequently asked questions **When is Mysuru Dasara 2026?** The festival opens on Sunday 11 October 2026 on Chamundi Hill. The Jamboo Savari takes place on Vijayadashami as fixed by the Mysuru panchanga; reports for 2026 point to 20 or 21 October, so confirm the date on the official Mysuru Dasara schedule before you travel. **What is the Jamboo Savari?** It is the procession that closes Mysuru Dasara: an idol of the goddess Chamundeshwari is carried in a golden howdah on a trained elephant from Mysuru Palace to Bannimantap, with tableaux, bands, dancers and other elephants. **When is Mysore Palace lit up during Dasara?** The palace is illuminated with tens of thousands of bulbs every evening of the festival, usually for a few hours after sunset. Timings are announced with the official programme. **How old is Mysuru Dasara?** The Wadiyar kings of Mysore began celebrating Dasara as a royal festival in the early 17th century, continuing a tradition of the Vijayanagara empire. Today it is organised by the Karnataka government as the state festival. **Do I need a ticket for the Jamboo Savari?** The procession route through the city can be watched for free, but seats inside the palace grounds and at Bannimantap for the torchlight parade need passes, sold by the district administration closer to the festival.