Mysuru Dasara, Karnataka's Nadahabba: its history, the lit palace, the Jamboo Savari elephant procession, the torchlight parade and practical tips for 2026.
Mysuru Palace lit up for Dasara. Photo: V N GUPTA, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.
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.
Sabudana khichdi, a common Navratri fasting food. Photo: Mrudit161187, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.
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.
Clay diyas lit for Diwali. Photo: Alokjain19883105, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.
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.
Mysuru Palace lit up for Dasara. Photo: V N GUPTA, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.
The two festivals honour the same victory, Durga over Mahishasura, in very different styles: a royal procession in Mysuru, and neighbourhood pandals in Kolkata.
Mahishasuramardini, Durga slaying the buffalo demon: a 12th-century chlorite sculpture of the Pala school. Photo: SpeakingArch, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.
Mysuru Dasara, Karnataka's Nadahabba: its history, the lit palace, the Jamboo Savari elephant procession, the torchlight parade and practical tips for 2026.
Mysuru Dasara → Next story: Navadurga: the nine forms of Durga in Navratri All photo storiesMusic: Garba dance during Navaratri festival in Mehsana Gujarat India, Nizil Shah, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.