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Traditions of Mysuru

A royal city whose ten-day Dasara festival ends with a lit palace and a grand procession.

Mysuru, once Mysore, was the seat of the Wadiyar kings and remains famous for its Dasara festival, held for centuries. The city is also known for sandalwood, silk, incense and yoga. Its centre, the Amba Vilas Palace, glows with almost a hundred thousand bulbs at festival time.

Mysore: Dasara festival at Mysore Palace in Mysore, India. (photo - Jim Ankan Deka)
Photo: Jim Ankan Deka, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Mysuru Dasara

For ten days in autumn there are concerts, wrestling, dances and exhibitions. The festival ends on Vijayadashami with the Jamboori, a procession in which an image of the goddess Chamundeshwari is carried on an elephant through the streets. A torchlight parade follows in the evening in front of the palace.

At the table

The city gave its name to Mysore pak, a sweet of ghee, gram flour and sugar, and to Mysore masala dosa with red chutney. Breakfast tends to be idli and vada with filter coffee. At Dasara, families set up dolls on steps in their homes, called Bombe Habba.

Signature traditions of Mysuru

Mysore DasaraThe ten-day royal festival.VijayadashamiThe tenth day, marking the victory of good over evil.

Also part of it, and being written: Bommai Kolu (The display of dolls on steps at Navaratri.), Mysore pak (The ghee sweet created at the palace kitchens.).

A trail idea for Mysuru

  1. Devaraja Market Pick through garlands, kumkum and fragrant incense.
  2. Chamundi Hill Climb the steps to the goddess temple at dawn.
  3. Amba Vilas Palace See the Sunday evening illumination.
About this page

Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Opening hours, markets and festival dates change; check locally before travelling. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.

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MealBreakfastLunchDinnerSupperTea-time and snacking customsTea, coffee and drinking ceremoniesSweets given and sharedFeasts and festival mealsFasting and breaking the fast

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Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

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