Following their spirited Mahisha Dasara celebration at Mysuru’s Town Hall on Wednesday, the organizing committee announced three significant resolutions. Chief among these is a proposal to rename the city from Mysuru to ‘Mahisuru,’ intended to honor the historical figure Mahisha, whom they portray as a benevolent Buddhist ruler.
The Mahisha Mandalotsava Samiti has consistently argued that Mahishasura was, in fact, a compassionate Buddhist monarch whose true identity has been unjustly misrepresented over time by certain factions. They maintain that the very name Mysuru originates from this ‘humanitarian Buddhist ruler Mahisha,’ a leader representing the region’s indigenous population, who they believe was erroneously depicted as a demon conquered by Goddess Chamundeshwari.
Former Mayor Purushottam, a prominent figure leading the Mahisha Dasara Organising Committee, elaborated on their resolutions. Besides the city’s proposed name change, the committee also called for the installation of an Emperor Ashoka statue in a fitting location within Mysuru and requested that floral tributes be offered annually to the Mahishasura statue on Chamundi Hills during the traditional Dasara festival inauguration.
Earlier in the day, the Mahisha Dasara celebrations saw devotees offering floral tributes to idols of Buddha, B.R. Ambedkar, and Mahishasura at the Town Hall. This shift in venue occurred after city police enacted prohibitory orders, preventing any assembly around the Mahishasura statue located atop Chamundi Hills.
City Police Commissioner Seema Latkar had previously issued prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the BNS, 2023. These orders restricted gatherings within a 200-meter radius of the Mahishasura statue from Tuesday midnight until 6 a.m. on Thursday, specifically in anticipation of Wednesday’s Mahisha Dasara festivities.
The Mahisha Dasara organizers had initially requested permission to perform their floral tribute ceremony directly at the Mahishasura statue.
Police officials stated that these prohibitory orders were necessary due to conflicting viewpoints among various groups regarding the Mahisha Dasara celebrations. An official police statement released on Tuesday warned that “any organization or individual violating this order by attempting to hold a meeting, function, procession, protest, or rally will face legal action, as such gatherings will be deemed unlawful assemblies.”
Furthermore, city police took measures to cover the Mahishasura statue on Chamundi Hills, effectively barring members of the Mahisha Dasara Organising Committee from approaching it.
The organizers subsequently returned to the Town Hall, where they proceeded with a public meeting, conducted under tight police security.
Among the notable speakers at this public gathering were Jnanaprakash Swami, the revered seer of Urilinga Peddi Mutt, and the acclaimed writer K.S. Bhagavan.
Jnanaprakash Swami expressed his strong belief that the dignitaries attending the inaugural ceremony of the Mysuru Dasara on Chamundi Hills should have extended floral tributes to the statue of Mahishasura.
The seer also urged the government to allocate dedicated funds for the Mahisha Dasara festival, emphasizing that its celebration is a “religious right.” He warned of potential legal action against district administration officials should they continue to deny these perceived rights.