Former Karnataka CM SM Krishna with Basavraj Bommai inaugurate Mysore Dasara Festival

Mysore (Karnataka) [India], October 8 (ANI): Former Karnataka Chief Minister SM Krishna along with the current Karnataka Chief Minister Basavraj Bommai inaugurated the Mysore Dasara festival by offering Pooja to goddess Chamundeshwari in Chamundi hills in Mysore on Thursday.
Mysuru is all set to celebrate the famous Dasara festival as the final preparation was finished following a 'puja' on Wednesday.
A rehearsal was organised on Wednesday for the elephants who will take part in a parade as part of a religious procession in the city. Every year the same trained elephants are brought from Nagarhole forest and kept in Mysore Palace till the festival is not over. Teams of animal husbandry and special caretakers are deployed to look after the elephants. This year eight of these trained elephants--Abhimanyu, Cauvery, Chaitra, Lakshmi, Gopalaswami, Dhananjaya, Ashwathama and Vikrama-- will take part in the parade.
A grand procession of the goddess Chamundeshwari's idol atop an elephant is taken out from Mysore Palace through the streets of the city every year on Dasara. During the festival, the city is decorated with light bulbs, while the famous Mysore Palace turns into a dazzling beauty.
Mysuru Dasara is a 10-day festival, which starts from the first day of Navaratri and concludes on Vijayadashami (Dusshera). This year, Mysuru Dasara will begin from October 7 and will end by October 15. (ANI)