The famous 10-day Dasara is proposed on a grand scale this year by the Karnataka Government.

The good monsoon rains have encouraged the Government to make the celebrations a grand one, allocating Rs. 4 crores as against Rs. 2 crores sought by the organizing authorities.

In recent years, Dasara grandeur is affected because of inadequate rainfall and drought condition. However, this time, heavy rains have brought copious amounts of water and almost all the reservoirs are overflowing.

The festivities commence on October 4 and conclude on October 13. The Government-sponsored celebrations will be inaugurated on October 4 morning atop the Chamundi Hills, the abode of Goddess Chamundeswari. Renowned Kannada litterateur Baragur Ramachandrappa will formally launch the celebrations.

The 4-lane Bangalore-Mysore expressway is expected to be fully ready by then and this is expected to bring more tourists during the Dasara. The expressway is almost complete now and it has already set in a boom in the property market, site and land value appreciating considerably. More and more IT and other industries and people from other places are showing keen interest in setting their shops and homes in and around the city. Roads in and around the city will be improved by spending Rs. 2 crores.

Private firms and companies will be associated for sponsoring the Dasara programmes. Gold cards for VIP hospitality, particularly to benefit foreign tourists during the celebrations, will be sold as in the last two years.

The Dasara procession and other programmes will be telecast, by auctioning its rights. The Ayudha Pooja or worship of arms takes place on October 12, while the Vijaya Dasami is on October 13, when the idol of Goddess Chamundeswari will be taken out in procession from the Palace to the Banni Mantap grounds.