Preparations are reportedly under way for an 11-day Shivamogga Dasara festival featuring a golden mask for Goddess Chamundeshwari, an elephant-led procession and a proposed municipal budget of Rs 2.1 crore. However, the supplied report contains an unresolved discrepancy over the year of the event and requires confirmation before publication.
The Times of India report, published on October 6, 2026, says the festival is being organised under the leadership of the Shivamogga City Corporation. MLA and chairman of the 14 Dasara Committees, SN Channabasappa, reportedly told reporters that political leaders and officials were working together to organise the celebrations.
According to the report, the principal procession is scheduled for October 11 and would travel from the City Corporation premises to the Kote Chandika Durgaparameshwari Temple. Three elephants from the Sakrebailu Elephant Camp—Bahaddur, Somanna and Sagar—have reportedly been deployed for the procession.
A key change described in the report is the planned use of a specially crafted golden mask for Goddess Chamundeshwari. The deity is also expected to be decorated with new gold-plated bangles, earrings, necklaces and other sacred ornaments prepared by the corporation. The report says this would replace the traditional placement of a silver idol in the Ambari, or howdah.
The civic finances attached to the festival are also significant. Shivamogga City Corporation commissioner Mayanna Gowda reportedly said that Rs 2.1 crore had been approved for the celebrations. Of this amount, Rs 50 lakh was described as a state government contribution and Rs 1.6 crore as municipal funding. The report further states that district minister Madhu Bangarappa was seeking additional funds to reduce the financial pressure on the municipality.
The programme is described as including women’s, children’s, cultural, yuva and Ranga Dasara events. The reported inauguration is scheduled for October 11 at 10.30am, with actor Srinath named as the chief guest. Actress Padma Vasanthi is expected to attend Cultural Dasara on October 18, while actor V Ravichandran is expected to launch Yuva Dasara on October 20.
The report also says that teams of 10 to 15 civic workers have been assigned to key event locations to maintain cleanliness and sanitation throughout the festival. That detail places municipal operations—including waste management and public-space upkeep—at the centre of the event’s delivery.
However, the supplied material does not establish whether the festival described is for 2024 or 2026. Its original summary refers to “Shivamogga Dasara 2024”, while the article metadata records publication and update dates in 2026 and presents October 11 as an upcoming procession date. The city corporation, district administration or festival committee should confirm the correct year, schedule and current budget before the report is published as a current event.
