Mysuru’s Dasara illumination programme will expand this year to cover 146 km of roads and 123 traffic circles, while a 3,500-drone show is planned at the Bannimantap torchlight parade ground. The Dasara festivities will be held from October 11 to 21, with the illumination scheduled to begin officially on the evening of October 11.
The expanded lighting plan is intended to enhance the city’s public spaces and major visitor routes during the annual festival. More roads and circles will receive decorative lighting than last year, when 136 km of roads and 118 circles were covered. More than 80 illuminated replicas made with LED bulbs are also being prepared at prominent locations.
The illuminated routes will include roads around the Amba Vilas Palace, New Sayyaji Rao Road, Irwin Road, Albert Victor Road, JLB Road, Chamaraja Double Road, Vinoba Road, the road opposite the Zilla Panchayat office, the road near the city police commissioner’s office and Devaraja Urs Road. Important highways on the outskirts of Mysuru will also be included in the programme.
Decorative installations are planned at Dodda Kere Maidan, KR Circle, Chamaraja Circle, Jayachamaraja Circle, Ramaswamy Circle, the area near the railway station, Gun House Circle and LIC Circle, among other locations. Fifty-one illuminated arches will also be installed along key roads and at important junctions, including Albert Victor Road, Sayyaji Rao Road, Devaraja Urs Road, Krishnaraja Circle, Jayachamarajendra Circle, Chamarajendra Circle, Ayurveda College and the vicinity of JSS Mahavidyapeetha.
Workers have already begun preparations, and trial lighting is being conducted at selected locations. Sunilkumar, superintendent engineer of the Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation, told Prajavani that preparations had started and that the official launch would take place on October 11. He said the installations would depict the Mysuru Maharajas, prominent personalities who contributed to the state and the country, and government schemes including the ‘five guarantees’ programmes.
The illumination will remain in place for all 21 days of the festival, from October 11 to 21. Last year, lighting was continued for several additional days following public demand. The extended display drew large numbers of visitors who came to view the city at night.
The drone show will also be larger than last year’s programme. A 1,500-drone display was held in 2024, while 3,000 drones were used during performances on September 28, 29, October 1 and 2 last year. This year, organisers have decided to add 500 drones, taking the total to 3,500. The drones will be used to create different formations in the sky at the Bannimantap torchlight parade ground.
The programme adds to the seasonal demands placed on Mysuru’s roads, junctions and public spaces as visitors arrive for the festival. The electricity supply corporation’s preparations and the scheduled launch on October 11 will determine when the full illumination network becomes operational.
