After the row over the previous Congress government celebrating Tipu Jayanti, Karnataka is witnessing a raging controversy over the famous Dasara festivities in Mysuru. The Mysuru Dasara festival, which was started by Raja Wadiyar in 1610 and had assumed the status of Naada Habba or state festival in the 1970s, is facing resistance from a group of intellectuals and writers.
On Wednesday, the royal city of Mysuru saw the 408th Mysuru Dasara celebrations kick off with Infosys Foundation chairperson Sudha Murthy inaugurating the 10-day state festival, along with Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and other dignitaries.
Sudha Murthy, who offered prayers to the presiding deity Goddess Chamundeshwari atop the Chamundi hills, also pledged Rs 25 crore from her foundation for rebuilding homes in rain-ravaged Kodagu district. Sudha Murthy reminded that the Dasara festival united the people of Karnataka and attributed its success to the Mysuru Royals (Wadiyar family). She also lauded the Wadiyars for their protection and promotion of the Kannada language over the centuries.
But the warm vibes soon disappeared as BJP MP Pratap Simha seized the opportunity to register a protest against the Kumaraswamy government for its inaction even as some people launched a parallel Dasara celebration—Mahisha Dasara—as a counter to the traditional festival. Mahisha Dasara was conceived by a group of intellectuals led by Kannada writer K.S. Bhagvan and revolves around the demon king Mahishasura, who is believed to have been slain by Goddess Chamundeshwari.
“I am happy the chief minister has invited Sudha Murthy, a philanthropist who has been extending Rs 10 lakh to the families of our soldiers who get disabled or martyred. The chief minister, who has himself offered prayers to Goddess Chamundeshwari today, has indirectly supported a celebration that goes against the long tradition of Mysuru Dasara started by the Wadiyar kings, by remaining a mute spectator. The Dasara festival has a long and glorious history and it is saddening to see that the state government celebrates the jayanti of the person [Tipu Sultan] who had banned the celebrations during his rule,” said Simha.
On October 7, former minister Satish Jarkiholi flagged off a procession of folk troupes from the town hall to Chamundi Hills, setting a new precedent of glorifying Mahishasura. However, the advocates of Mahisha Dasara insist that Mahishasura was a Yadava king and it was a conspiracy of the upper caste Aryans who came from north India to portray him as a demon king. “Mahisha was a benevolent dalit ruler who stood for equality of all sections of society. But he was wrongly depicted as evil and as a demon in mythology,” argued Bhagvan.
Karnataka had witnessed violence, which claimed two lives, after the previous Congress government introduced Tipu Jayanti celebrations across the state. Whether Tipu, a historical figure, was a tyrant or a freedom fighter is still open to debate. And the Tipu Jayanti issue did not just divide people, but impacted the recent Assembly polls too. This time again, the controversy over the credentials of Mahishasura, a mythological character, is whipping up a storm as the dalit votes are decisive to win elections.
