Mysuru, Sept. 24 -- The Mysore Palace, a silent witness to centuries of Wadiyar rule, awakens each year during the Mysuru Dasara festival, not as a relic, but as a living, breathing theatre of history. Though the royal family no longer resides here permanently, the palace pulses with life during Dasara, its halls resonating with rituals, processions, and ceremonies that make the past palpable in the present.
Inaugurated on September 22 by International Booker Prize winner Banu Mushtaq, this year's festival is once again a testament to Mysuru's enduring heritage.
As night falls, the palace glimmers under thousands of bulbs, casting a golden glow on carved doors, ornate arches, and vast pavilions. Inside, the Kalyana Mantapa's stained-glass...