Mysuru Dasara 2026
11 Oct 2026 – 27 Nov 2026 · 12 AM – 12 AMAmba Vilas Palace, Mysuru
Every year across Navaratri (Sept/Oct), 11 days, ending on Vijayadashami.
Renjith — Mysuru once again comes alive with the grandeur of Dasara — illuminated streets, the majestic Mysuru Palace, cultural performances, traditional celebrations. For travellers, Dasara is more than just a festival. It is an experience that brings together Karnataka’s heritage, culture, food, music and royal traditions in one incredible destination
Mysuru Dasara 2026 is Karnataka’s official state festival (Nada Habba), scheduled to take place from Sunday, 11 October to Wednesday, 21 October 2026. Celebrating the mythical victory of Goddess Chamundeshwari over the buffalo-demon Mahishasura, this 10-day celebration transforms the historical city of Mysuru into a grand, illuminated stage of royal heritage, pageantry, and civic pride.
Highlights
Quick facts
- 11 days, 64 distinct named programmes across 90+ scheduled date/time slots and 20+ venues
- 31 district tableaux in the procession; 28 sports disciplines in the CM Cup
- Celebrated continuously since 1610 AD (Raja Wadiyar I, Srirangapatna)
- Palace illumination: ~1,00,000 bulbs, nightly 7–10 PM (till midnight on Sundays & Vijayadashami)
Participating elephants (Dasara 2026)
| Elephant | Camp | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mahendra | Balle | Salaane | 42 yrs, 4,764 kg |
| Dhananjaya | Dubare | Nishane | 45 yrs, 5,280 kg; 8 Dasaras; howdah contender |
| Ekalavya | Bheemanakatte | — | 41 yrs, 5,800 kg; tallest of the herd |
| Prashantha | Dubare | — | 54 yrs, 5,100 kg; 18 Dasaras |
| Gopi | Dubare | Naupath (last year) | 43 yrs, 5,150 kg; 15 Dasaras |
| Sriram | Dubare | — | 41 yrs, 4,640 kg |
| Srikanta | Mattigodu | — | 57 yrs, 5,860 kg; heaviest of the herd |
| Lakshmi | Balle | Kumki | 54 yrs, 3,438 kg; ex-circus |
| Kaveri | Dubare | Kumki | 46 yrs, 3,060 kg |
| Roopa | Doddaharave | Kumki | 50 yrs, 3,500 kg; rescued from circus |
| Sugreeva | Dubare | Salaane | 44 yrs, 5,800 kg |
| Chaitra | Ramapura | Kumki | 55 yrs, 2,988 kg; camp-born |
The howdah-carrier is announced by the Forest Department after training concludes.
Organizing structure
- High Power Committee — chaired by the Chief Minister; DC is Member-secretary
- Executive Committee — chaired by the DC & Dasara Special Officer, meets weekly from July
- 18 sub-committees for delivery — e.g. Procession & Tableaux, Cultural Dasara, Gaja Payana (elephants), Bandobast (security)
Key venues at a glance
| Venue | What happens there |
|---|---|
| Amba Vilas Palace | Durbar, nightly illumination, Palace-stage concerts, procession start |
| Chamundi Hill | Inauguration puja, Yoga Charana, Rathotsava (13 km, hilltop) |
| Bannimantap Grounds | Procession finale, Torchlight Parade (3 km north of the Palace) |
| Panjina Kavayathu Ground, Bannimantap | Torchlight Parade, drone shows |
| Doddakere Maidana | Dasara Exhibition, two months (opposite the Palace) |
| Kuppanna Park (Nishad Bagh) | Fruit & Flower Show (near the railway station) |
| Maharaja's College Ground | Aahara Mela food fair, 11–25 Oct |
| J.K. Grounds | Mahila & Makkala Dasara, Raitha Dasara |
| B.M. Sri Auditorium, Manasagangotri | Dasara Kavigoshti poetry sessions |
| Karnataka Kala Mandira | Makkala Dasara children's programme |
| CAVA, Siddarthanagar | Art workshops, exhibitions, film shows |
| Chamundi Vihar & university stadia | Dasara CM Cup — 28 sports disciplines |
| D. Devaraj Urs Kusti Pavilion | Dasara Kusti wrestling, Vajramushti Kalaga |
| Lingambudhi Botanical Garden | Pushpa Mela flower fair |
| Kambala track, near VTU College | Traditional buffalo racing, 18–19 Oct |
| Town Hall (Rangacharlu Memorial Hall) | Heritage Dasara walk/cycle/tonga rides |
Parking hubs (free shuttle every 10 min, 9 AM–11 PM)
| Hub | Location | Covers | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maharaja College Grounds | JLB Road | Aahara Mela, Palace, Kuppanna Park | ₹50 car / ₹20 two-wheeler |
| Oval Grounds | Palace north | Palace, Sayyaji Rao Road | ₹50 / ₹20 |
| Bannimantap | Parade grounds | Torchlight Parade, Bannimantap stands | ₹50 / ₹20 |
| Chamundi Vihar Stadium | Nazarbad | Palace, Doddakere | ₹50 / ₹20 |
| Race Course | Lalitha Mahal Road | Palace east | ₹50 / ₹20 |
| J K Grounds | Hunsur Road | Raitha Dasara, Mahila & Makkala Dasara, Palace west | ₹50 / ₹20 |
| Kalamandira | Hunsur Road | Kalamandira, Kuppanna Park | ₹50 / ₹20 |
| Scouts & Guides Ground | Chamaraja Road | Town Hall, Palace south | ₹50 / ₹20 |
| Mysuru University | Manasagangotri | West city, KRS road | Free |
| Nazarbad Sports Complex | Nazarbad | Palace, Zoo | ₹50 / ₹20 |
| Central Bus Stand | B N Road | Palace, Devaraja Market | ₹50 / ₹20 |
| Ring Road hub, Bogadi | Bogadi Road | Southern entry | Free |
Good to know
Expected crowd: Very High
12 verified hubs with free shuttles every 10 min, 9 AM-11 PM; most charge Rs.50 car / Rs.20 two-wheeler, 2 are free (Mysuru University, Bogadi ring road). Full list in Highlights.
Travel advisory: Roads close to private vehicles from 11 AM on 21 October: Sayyaji Rao Road (K R Circle to Bannimantap -- the full procession route), Albert Victor Road and the Palace ring roads, Ashoka Road and Dhanwantri Road around Devaraja Market, and B N Road between the Central Bus Stand and K R Circle. Emergency vehicles, festival shuttles and residents with passes are exempt. Free festival shuttles run every 10 minutes from 12 parking hubs to the Palace, Bannimantap, the Exhibition and Kuppanna Park, 9 AM-11 PM throughout the festival. Ticketed gallery seating (Gold Card, Procession, Torchlight Parade, Drone Show) sells out first via TicketGenie -- the only authorised seller -- so book early.
Safety: Very large crowds during the illumination weekends and the Jumboo Savari. Tourist Police helpline: 0821-2418111 (24x7). General visitor helpline 1077 covers medical camps, police posts and lost & found across festival venues.
Day-by-day itinerary
The Dasara elephants, selected by the Forest Department, are flagged off in Tula lagna to begin their journey to the Palace.
The elephants enter the Palace and are received with puja.
Sand-casting, mural (Kavi Kale) and printmaking (Achchu Kale) workshops with the Karnataka Shilpakala Academy, ahead of the main exhibition.
Four nights of headline concerts for the young — film music, indie and folk fusion — with artist registration ahead of the performances.
Ghatasthapana & Chamundeshwari Puja
Prathama (Shailaputri)
Sharannavaratri opens with the Shaila vrata. The muhurta puja to Goddess Chamundeshwari takes place on Chamundi Hill, where the chief guest for the year traditionally showers flowers on the idol to formally declare Dasara open. The Palace illumination is switched on for the first time this evening. The CM Cup sports, Aahara Mela, Flower Show and city illumination all open today too.
Sports across 28 disciplines begin (archery, athletics, badminton, boxing and more).
Traditional wrestling competition, running 11–14 October.
The Janapriya Aahara Mela food fair opens, 11 AM–10 PM daily through 25 October, with 15 cuisines including South and North Karnataka, Kashmiri, Punjabi, Rajasthani, North-Eastern, Andhra, Kerala, Tamil, Marathi, Chinese, Tibetan, Italian, French and African, plus millet and organic sections. Free entry; card and UPI accepted.
Theme 'Prajaprabhutvada Habba' — themed floral installations, rose gardens, bonsai, vegetable carving and tableaux, open 9 AM–9 PM through 21 October.
Dhanur lagna muhurta puja; the chief guest for the year showers flowers on the idol to formally declare Dasara open.
Flower fair and nursery visit.
State-level fine-arts competition and exhibition opens, running through 24 October.
Marquee Palace-stage concerts begin their nightly run through the festival.
The city's festival lighting is switched on by the Energy Minister.
The Palace's roughly one lakh bulbs are lit for the first evening of 2026, nightly 7–10 PM (till midnight on Sundays and on Vijayadashami).
Government and industry pavilions, a crafts bazaar, amusement rides and an evening entertainment stage — running from Dasara to mid-December (exact closing date not published). Included in every Dasara ticket.
The Dasara elephants begin their journey home; Dhanur lagna.
Chariot festival at the temple.
Tickets
Frequently asked questions
Reviews
Mysuru once again comes alive with the grandeur of Dasara — illuminated streets, the majestic Mysuru Palace, cultural performances, traditional celebrations. For travellers, Dasara is more than just a festival. It is an experience that brings together Karnataka’s heritage, culture, food, music and royal traditions in one incredible destination
