25 October 2024

Mysuru Dasara 2024

Since we didn't celebrate dasara gombe habba at home this year, we planned to visit Mysore for Dasara. 2 things which can be done only during Dasara at Mysore, are watching Vijayadashami Jambu Savari Procession and Golden Throne which is displayed in Amba Vilas Palace only during this time. Since we never wanted to miss gombe celebration at home, we never planned visiting Mysore on Vijaya Dashami day. Unlike ganesh chaturthi, where in festivity starts from chaturthi and can be ended on 1st, 3rd, 5th or 10th day, gombe habba has to end on Vijaya Dashami day, whether you plan to display dolls for 1, 3, 5 or 10days, which you start accordingly. So we never got to be in Mysore on Dashami for Jambu Savari procession. In recent years the lighting in the city has also being extended beyond 10 days of dasara and we plan for the immediate next weekends after festival to get to watch lighting every year. Mysore exhibition which starts during dasara, extends till December, so you have enough time for that too. 

While hubby and daughter had never watched Dasara Procession in person, I had watched it might be 3decades ago. Being studied at KV, I remember we never got long holidays during Dasara, but my cousins who studied in Karnataka state board used to get a month holiday during Dasara, on account of Mysore Dasara. So it should back in 1980s that I watched Jambu Savari last in Mysore. 
Lot has changed over the years, especially with the crowd. Mysore is flooded with people from across the world during Dasara. While we watched the procession sitting roadside back then, you can't expect to watch it at peace these days. So we planned to go for tickets which offer seating arrangement inside the palace campus. 

Tickets don't come with seat numbers and you need to be on time to get a seat closer. We had checked on the muhurtha for nandi pooja(start of the procession), which was at 1PM and we knew we had to be in by 11:30 at least, to get the closer seat. The procession had 50 tableaux from 31 districts and 19 boards, corporations and departments of Karnataka. The procession also included 81 folk troupes from across India. Veeragase, Dollu kunitha, Keelu kudure, kolata, Rajasthani dance naming the few.
Depicting ISRO Gaganyaan, which is supposed to carry fruit fly to space, tableau of Dharwad district


Udupi Tableau depicting Kambala, Kola, temples of costal Karnataka, fisher men and women

Depicting Onake Obavva

First prize winning tableau - Department of Information and Public Relations

Lot of talent and creativity goes into making of tableaux and the performances by artists. The one which steals the show in Ambari, elephant carrying goddess chamundeshwari idol inside golden howdah. Jambu Savari Procession starts with 7 elephants and ends with Ambari, this time carried by Abhimanyu, along with 2 other elephants.

Useful links
For Dasara Illumination round trip in double decker bus https://www.kstdc.co/tour-packages/mysuru-sightseeing-by-ambaari-2/

18 October 2024

Skywatch Friday - Marina Beach Chennai!!!

For this week's Skywatch Friday is the view of Marina Beach and around, from the iconic Madras Lighthouse, clicked during one of my travels to Chennai few years ago.. Blend of sky, water, sand, greens, civilization and development.. 



5 October 2024

Dasara Gombe Habba

Dasara gombe habba has always been my favorite festival forever and I never missed celebrating the festival at home from 2011, the year I started. But this year due to a birth in the family, I didn't get to celebrate the festival at home. Here is a tour of my last year celebration. 
The overall setup

My Pattada gombe collection, which has reached 4 sets now

Aadisi nodu, beelisi nodu - dancing dolls, maharaja couple dolls, Rajasthani couple face. Had dedicated wedding set along with all couple dolls for this step

Few theme dolls - half saree ceremony doll set which I had created for daughter's half saree ceremony, Bengali wedding set up, Gruhapravesha/house warming set- again hand crafted by me

Bead set, and temple scene with few vendors

Don't miss the year on the bead wall hanging - that was done by mom back in 1974, it completed 50years officially

Forever favorite Shetty and the miniatures, that peacock glass frame is also around 85 year old done by my grandpa as a kid

Last year was also the year of Chandrayaan 3, we had to make one. Crafted by daughter.

We had dedicated place for all dolls of Krishna - Vasudeva carrying baby Krishna, kalinga mardana, Krishna holding matka in hand, Yashoda mayya with baby Krishna, gopala Krishna, Krishna and Sudhama, dahi handi Krishna, ISCON Krishna devotees, along with Radha and Krishna dolls.

Mysore Maharaja and Maharani set dolls

Kondapally wedding set doll

You can check all the posts related to Dasara gombe habba on the link Dasara Gombe Habba