Mysuru police have imposed prohibitory orders within a 200-metre radius of the Mahishasura statue on Chamundi Hill, restricting public activity around the site from midnight on October 9 until 6 am on October 11 during the Mahisha Dasara period.
Mysuru City Police Commissioner Seema Latkar issued the order on Thursday after intelligence personnel reported the possibility of protests by some organisations opposing the Mahisha Dasara celebrations. The order covers the area around the statue but does not apply to residents living on Chamundi Hill, according to the order cited by Prajavani.
The Mahisha Dasara organising committee had sought administrative support for a series of events on October 10. Committee president Purushotham had proposed garlanding the Mahishasura statue on Chamundi Hill at 8.30 am, followed by the garlanding of the statue of Dr B.R. Ambedkar in the outer premises of Town Hall at 11 am and a stage programme.
The police order said intelligence inputs indicated that some organisations could hold protests on the same day to oppose the celebrations. It also noted that there were differences between the two sides over the event and that the hill’s large and open terrain could allow supporters and opponents to gather from different directions.
According to the order, the possibility of opposing groups assembling in the area could create a law-and-order situation. The restriction has therefore been imposed around the statue during the specified period to manage movement and public activity at the location. The order, as reported, does not provide details in the supplied material about the specific legal provisions used or the exact activities prohibited within the 200-metre zone.
The development places Chamundi Hill, one of Mysuru’s most prominent public and religious landmarks, under temporary access restrictions during a period when competing public claims over the Mahisha Dasara event are expected to converge. The police decision also separates the movement controls around the statue from the arrangements for hill residents, who have been expressly excluded from the order’s scope.
The scheduled October 10 programme remains the immediate trigger for the restrictions. The order will remain in force until 6 am on October 11, after which the temporary 200-metre restriction is due to end unless authorities issue further directions.
