The Dasara parade, better known as the Jamboo Savari, is the grand procession that brings the ten-day Mysore Dasara to a close on Vijayadashami. Decorated elephants, folk troupes, tableaux and police bands wind through the streets of Mysuru (Mysore), led by an elephant carrying the idol of Goddess Chamundeshwari in a golden howdah. The day ends with the torchlight parade at Bannimantap. This guide covers the 2026 date and timings, the route, tickets, viewing tips and how to get there.
Key Takeaways
- The Dasara parade, or Jamboo Savari, is the elephant procession on Vijayadashami that closes the ten-day Mysuru (Mysore) Dasara.
- In 2026 the Dasara parade is on Wednesday, 21 October. The golden howdah leaves Mysore Palace after the pushparchane, in the 4:10 PM to 4:35 PM muhurta.
- The route runs about 5 km from Mysore Palace (Amba Vilas) to Bannimantap.
- The torchlight parade (Panjina Kavayathu) is at Bannimantap Ground at 7:00 PM on 20 and 21 October 2026.
- Watching from the roadside is free; seated enclosures cost Rs. 1,500 to Rs. 6,500 per person (as of October 2026).
- Festival helpline: 1077 (24×7).
Table of Contents
What is the Mysore Dasara parade?
Dasara (Navaratri) is the Nada Habba, or state festival, of Karnataka, and Mysuru celebrates it on a scale no other city in the state matches. The Mysore Dasara parade is its climax. On Vijayadashami, the tenth day, the procession leaves Mysore Palace in the late afternoon and ends at Bannimantap in the north of the city, where the evening closes with the torchlight parade.
The Dasara parade is popularly called the Jamboo Savari after the caparisoned elephants at its heart; in Kannada it is the Dasara meravanige (procession). For the full day-by-day festival calendar, including the palace durbar and cultural programmes, see our Mysore Dasara dates and events guide.
Dasara parade 2026: date and timings
In 2026, Mysuru Dasara runs from Sunday, 11 October to Wednesday, 21 October, and the Dasara parade takes place on Vijayadashami, Wednesday, 21 October 2026. The procession is timed to auspicious muhurtas (time windows) that are fixed every year. The table below lists the key events as of October 2026, taken from the official Mysuru Dasara portal.
Table 1 – Dasara parade 2026: key events and timings
| Date | Event | Time | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday, 11 October 2026 | Inauguration of Mysuru Dasara with Chamundeshwari puja | 11:50 AM – 12:13 PM | Chamundeshwari Temple, Chamundi Hills |
| Saturday, 17 and Sunday, 18 October 2026 | Drone show (ticketed) | Evening; gates 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM | Bannimantap Ground |
| Tuesday, 20 October 2026 | Torchlight parade (first evening, ticketed rehearsal) | 7:00 PM | Bannimantap Ground |
| Wednesday, 21 October 2026 | Nandi Dhwaja puja | 1:36 PM – 1:56 PM | Mysore Palace |
| Wednesday, 21 October 2026 | Pushparchane to Goddess Chamundeshwari; Jamboo Savari leaves the palace | 4:10 PM – 4:35 PM | Mysore Palace to Bannimantap |
| Wednesday, 21 October 2026 | Torchlight parade (Panjina Kavayathu) | 7:00 PM | Bannimantap Ground |
| Source: official Mysuru Dasara portal, mysoredasara.gov.in, as of October 2026. Muhurta timings are fixed afresh each year. | |||
Timings are announced afresh each year and can shift, so check the official schedule a day or two before you travel.
The legend and history behind the Dasara parade
The banni tree and Vijayadashami
According to the Mahabharata tradition, the Pandavas hid their weapons in a banni (shami) tree before spending the last year of their exile in disguise, and took them back on Vijayadashami. Devotees believe the banni tree brings victory, and worshipping it on this day is an old custom across Karnataka. According to local tradition, the rulers of Mysuru worshipped the banni tree at Bannimantap before setting out on campaigns, which is why the Dasara parade still ends there.
From a royal ride to a state festival
Mysuru’s Dasara is traced to 1610, when Raja Wodeyar I began celebrating the festival at Srirangapatna; the official portal dates the celebrations to that year. Under the Wodeyar kings of Mysore, the Maharaja himself rode the golden howdah through the city. After Independence the festival passed to the state government, and today the idol of Goddess Chamundeshwari, the presiding deity of Chamundi Hills, rides in the howdah in place of the king.
Jamboo Savari: what you will see in the Dasara parade
The Dasara parade moves at an elephant’s pace, and the full procession can take a few hours to pass any one point on the route. It has three broad parts.
The golden howdah and the Ambari elephant
The centrepiece of the Dasara parade is the golden howdah, or Mysore Ambari, widely reported to weigh about 750 kg, carrying the idol of Goddess Chamundeshwari. After the Chief Minister and other dignitaries offer flowers to the goddess at the palace (the pushparchane), the howdah elephant sets off, flanked by other elephants of the Dasara squad.
The howdah elephant has changed over the years. Arjuna carried it from 2012 to 2019, and Abhimanyu from 2020 to 2025. Abhimanyu has since retired from howdah duty and was expected to walk as the nishane (flag) elephant in 2026. The Forest Department chooses the howdah elephant from the trained squad; read more in our guide to the elephants of Mysore Dasara.
Tableaux, folk troupes and bands
Behind the elephants come tableaux (decorated floats) from the districts and government departments, folk dance and music troupes such as dollu kunitha (drum dance), and police and other uniformed bands. The tableaux usually showcase each district’s heritage, crafts and development themes, so the procession doubles as a moving portrait of Karnataka.
Dasara parade route: Mysore Palace to Bannimantap
The Dasara parade begins at Amba Vilas, the Mysore Palace, and ends at Bannimantap Parade Ground, a distance of about 5 km (some reports put it at 5.5 km). The route runs through the heart of the old city, and crowds line both sides of the road and fill balconies and rooftops along the way.
The seating enclosures at the palace forecourt and at Bannimantap are ticketed; the rest of the route is open to the public and free to watch, but the best roadside spots fill up hours in advance. Expect road closures and traffic diversions on the day, and plan to walk the last stretch.
Torchlight parade (Panjina Kavayathu) at Bannimantap
Once the Dasara parade reaches Bannimantap, the festival closes with the torchlight parade, known in Kannada as Panjina Kavayathu (panju means torch, and kavayathu a parade or drill). It begins at 7:00 PM at Bannimantap Ground and is a grand display by military and police bands and contingents. In 2026 it is held on two evenings: 20 October, a ticketed rehearsal evening, and 21 October, Vijayadashami.
Past editions have included mounted police displays, motorcycle stunts and fireworks, though the programme changes from year to year. A separate drone show is held at the same ground on some evenings of the festival; in 2026, ticketed drone shows are listed for 17 and 18 October.
Dasara parade tickets and Gold Card
You do not need a ticket to watch the Dasara parade from the roadside. Tickets are needed only for the seating enclosures at the palace and at Bannimantap. All tickets are sold through TicketGenie, which the official Mysuru Dasara tickets page names as the only authorised seller. Prices below are per person, as of October 2026.
Table 2 – Dasara parade tickets and passes, 2026
| Ticket | Price per person | Date and gates | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold Card | Rs. 6,500 | Valid 11 – 21 October | Numbered seat for the Jamboo Savari and the torchlight parade on 21 October; one-time entry to Mysore Palace, Chamundi Hills and Mysuru Zoo; one drone show; parking as marked on the card |
| Procession (Jamboo Savari) | Rs. 3,500 | 21 October; gates 9:30 AM – 12:00 noon | Numbered seat in the enclosure at the Mysore Palace forecourt |
| Torchlight parade | Rs. 1,500 | 21 October; gates 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM | Enclosure at Bannimantap Ground, free seating |
| Torchlight parade rehearsal | Rs. 1,500 | 20 October; gates 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM | Enclosure at Bannimantap Ground, free seating |
| Drone show | Rs. 1,000 per day | 17 and 18 October; gates 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM | Free seating at Bannimantap Ground; separate ticket for each day |
| Source: mysoredasara.gov.in/tickets, as of October 2026. Prices are the starting prices listed; bookings through TicketGenie, the authorised seller. Carry the physical ticket and photo ID. | |||
The online confirmation is a voucher, not a ticket: exchange it for the physical ticket or Gold Card before the event, and carry photo ID. The Gold Card is the premium pass and also covers one-time entry to Mysore Palace, Chamundi Hills and Mysuru Zoo.
Tips for watching the Dasara parade
- Arrive early. Gates to the palace enclosure open between 9:30 AM and 12:00 noon, hours before the procession leaves, and roadside spots fill even earlier.
- Carry water, a hat or umbrella and light snacks; the wait is long, and October afternoons in Mysuru can be hot or wet.
- Keep your physical ticket and photo ID to hand; security checks apply at every enclosure, and entry can be refused on security grounds.
- Use the free festival shuttles from the parking hubs, or park only where your Gold Card says.
- Mobile networks get congested in large crowds, so agree on a meeting point with your group in advance.
- Gold Card holders: Mysuru Zoo is closed on Tuesdays, which in 2026 includes 20 October.
- Keep the festival helpline, 1077 (24×7), and the emergency number, 112, saved on your phone.
How to reach Mysuru (Mysore) for the Dasara parade
Mysuru is well connected by air, rail and road. The distances below are approximate. For an introduction to the city itself, see About Mysore.
- By air: Mysuru Airport at Mandakalli is about 10 km from the city centre and has a limited number of flights. Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru (Bangalore), is about 175 km away.
- By rail: Mysuru Junction railway station is about 2 km from Mysore Palace, with frequent trains from Bengaluru.
- By road: Mysuru is about 145 km from Bengaluru by road; the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway (NH 275) shortens the drive. KSRTC runs frequent buses from Bengaluru to the Mysuru city and suburban bus stands, both close to the palace.
Where to stay and what to see nearby
Hotels in Mysuru fill quickly during Dasara and room rates rise sharply around Vijayadashami, so book as early as you can. Staying near the palace or the city centre lets you walk to the procession route and avoid the diversions on the day. Bengaluru is close enough for a long day trip, but expect heavy traffic in both directions.
Make the most of the visit: see the palace lit up in the evenings during the festival, drive up Chamundi Hills to the Chamundeshwari Temple, and book a table at one of these fine-dining restaurants in Mysore. If you have an extra day, pick from our list of day trips from Mysore within 50 km.
Frequently asked questions about the Dasara parade
When is the Mysore Dasara parade in 2026?
The Dasara parade (Jamboo Savari) is on Wednesday, 21 October 2026, which is Vijayadashami. According to the official schedule, the golden howdah leaves Mysore Palace after the pushparchane in the 4:10 PM to 4:35 PM muhurta.
What is the route of the Dasara parade?
The Dasara parade starts at Mysore Palace (Amba Vilas) and ends at Bannimantap, a distance of about 5 km through the old city.
Do I need a ticket to watch the Dasara parade?
No. Watching from the roadside is free. Tickets are needed only for the seating enclosures at the palace and at Bannimantap, priced from Rs. 1,500 to Rs. 6,500 per person as of October 2026.
What is the difference between the Jamboo Savari and the torchlight parade?
The Jamboo Savari is the afternoon elephant procession from the palace to Bannimantap. The torchlight parade (Panjina Kavayathu) is the evening display by military and police contingents at Bannimantap Ground, from 7:00 PM.
Which elephant carries the golden howdah?
Abhimanyu carried the golden howdah from 2020 to 2025 and has since retired from howdah duty. The Forest Department chooses the howdah elephant each year from the trained Dasara squad.
How heavy is the golden howdah?
The golden howdah, or Ambari, is widely reported to weigh about 750 kg. It carries the idol of Goddess Chamundeshwari during the procession.