From Our Special Correspondent

Daijiworld Media Network

Mysuru, Oct 15: The world-famous Mysuru Dasara Festival got off to a traditional start with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar performing the Pooja to Chamundeshwari Devi at Chamundi Hills on Sunday.

Noted film music director Hamsalekha marked the formal inauguration of the Dasara celebrations.

The chief archak of Chamundi Hills, Sashishekar Dikshit, performed the traditional pooja to the Chamundeshwari goddess and prayed for good monsoons and prosperity for the State and its people.

Inaugural celebrations were led by Mysuru district in-charge minister Dr H C Mahedavappa. Local MLA G T Deve Gowda presided over the inaugural function.

Energy minister K J George, Animal Husbandry and Sericulture minister K Venkatesh, Kannada and Culture minister Shivaraj Thangadagi, Food and Civil Supplies minister K H Muniyappa, MP Pratap Simha, MLAs Tanvir Sait, A R Krishnamurthy, T S Srivatsava, and Marithibbegowda, deputy mayor Dr G Roopa, deputy commissioner, and Dasara special officer Dr K V Rajendra, Mysuru police commissioner Ramesh Banot, Mysuru Zilla Panchayat chief executive officer Gayatri, district superintendent of police Seema Latkar, and Mysuru city commissioner Assad Ur Rehman Sharief, among others, were present.