New Delhi: Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi attended the Dussehra celebrations at the famous Ramlila Maidan here on Sunday evening. In a symbolic gesture, the political leaders also took up bow and arrow in their hands and marked the beginning of the burning of effigies of Demon King Ravana, son Meghnath, and brother Kumbhakaran. Earlier, President Pratibha Patil, Vice President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi attended Dussehra celebrations at the Subhash Maidan near Red Fort here. Dussehra was celebrated with deep fervour and enthusiasm in different parts of Delhi and in other parts of the country on Sunday.
Meanwhile, thousands of local residents and tourists enjoyed watching the traditional Jambu Sawari procession, a ritual of erstwhile royalty of Wodeyar
dynasty, as the 10-day Dussera festival culminated on Sunday. The royal guards
performed the march past with the State police band and musicians playing traditional
instruments. Several dances were also performed following a number of tableaux,
which were taken out on this special occasion today. As per the traditions practised
by the rulers of Mysore , the Wodeyar dynasty, the idol of Goddess Chamundeshwari is taken out in this royal procession, placed in a golden mandapa (canopy), atop a caparisoned elephant. Nanja Raja, a resident of Mysore said that the Vijayanagar Kings first started these Dussera festivities in the 15th century and later the Wodeyars of Mysore have continued this tradition since circa 1610. "Actually it was a King's heritage festival. Vijaynagar emperors used to perform this Dussera festival during Ashada Shuddha Prathama (first day of Ashadha month as per Hindu almanac) to Vijayadashami. The main purpose for them was crossing our border and
attacking our neighbouring King," said Nanja Raja. He also said that though the
kings lost their glory during the colonial rule. the festive spirit of Dussera
in Mysore never lost its fervour. "When Britishers ruled India , even though there
were 590 Kings, they were managed by Britishers. Hence, there was no question
of one king attacking another king. Still Mysore Kings used to perform this heritage
festival as their personal home function," said Raja. The scion of the erstwhile
Mysore rulers, Titular Maharaja Srikanta Datta Narsimharaja Wodeyar led the ritual
of these festivities this year as per the centuries old tradition. Several cultural
programmes were conducted during the ten-day festivities.
