The eagerly awaited Mysuru Dasara 2025 festival commenced on Monday at the majestic Chamundi Hills, but it was the unprecedented security arrangements that truly set the tone for the event.
Attendees, including members of the press, navigated multiple layers of stringent security checkpoints and barricades, stretching from Sangolli Rayanna Circle on Lalitha Mahal Palace Road all the way to the inauguration site atop the hills.
This robust security blanket was a direct response to the significant opposition voiced by the BJP against the State government’s decision to have acclaimed International Booker Prize Winner Banu Mushtaq inaugurate the prestigious Dasara festival.
Police personnel meticulously screened every visitor, demanding presentation of passes and identity cards. A notable restriction was the prohibition of black caps or handkerchiefs, with officers diligently enforcing this rule at metal detectors positioned near the venue’s entrance.
Adding to the controlled environment, access to the Chamundeshwari Temple, typically open to devotees until an hour before the inauguration in previous years, was closed much earlier on Monday. Furthermore, private vehicles were barred from entering Chamundi Hills without valid, pre-approved passes.
The Information Department also released a statement indicating that photographers and videographers would not be permitted inside the temple’s sanctum sanctorum during the pre-inauguration pooja, citing limited space as the reason.