Mahisha Mandalotsava Organising Committee members including former Mayor Purushotham and writer K.S. Bhagwan at the Mahisha Mandalotsava at Town Hall in Mysuru on Saturday.
| Photo Credit: M.A. Sriram
A day before the start of Dasara celebrations, the Mahisha Mandalotsava 2026 was celebrated amid tight police security on the Town Hall premises in Mysuru on Saturday.
The members of Mahisha Mandalotsava Celebration Committee led by former Mayor Purushotham garlanded the statue of B.R. Ambedkar at Town Hall and lit a candle kept in front of the bronze miniatures of Buddha, Mahishasura and B.R. Ambedkar.
Dalit writer and thinker Vittal Vaggan, in his inaugural address, said Mahisha was a ruler and alleged that history had been hijacked by mythology while historical facts had been manipulated and replaced with mythological narratives. He called upon people to look at Mahisha from a historical perspective rather than seeing him from a mythological aspect which showcased him as a demon.
If Mahisha was not a good ruler, why would such a majestic statue of Mahishasura be erected atop Chamundi Hill during the rule of the Wadiyars, he asked.
Speaking on the occasion, historian P.V. Nanjaraj Urs said Chamundi Hill was earlier called as ‘Mahabala Betta’ while writer K.S. Bhagavan spoke about the socialistic thoughts of B.R. Ambedkar.
A book titled ‘Mahisha Charithrika:Chamundi Kalpanika’ authored by Vittal Vaggan was also released on the occasion.
Though the City police had issued prohibitory orders upto 200 metres from the statue of Mahishasura atop Chamundi Hill from midnight of October 9 to early morning of October 11, Mr. Purushotham claimed that they had also garlanded the statue of Mahishasura and thanked Home Minister Priyank Kharge for his intervention in the matter.
Published – October 10, 2026 08:48 pm IST
