Dussehra 2026: Mysore Palace Illumination Schedule Released

The Mysore Palace Board has released the detailed schedule for the world-renowned Mysore Dussehra 2026 celebrations, officially called Dasara, which will take place from September 22 to October 2, 2026. The 10-day festival will feature the iconic illumination of the Mysore Palace with 100,000 light bulbs, a tradition dating back to 1610. This year's celebrations will be extra special as the Karnataka government has allocated Rs 50 crore for the festivities, up from Rs 35 crore last year. Highlights include the traditional Chamundeshwari Temple puja atop Chamundi Hills, the grand Jamboo Savari procession featuring the golden howdah carried by decorated elephants, and a cultural program featuring 500 artists from across India. The Palace illumination schedule has been extended this year — the palace will be lit up from 7 PM to 10 PM on all 10 days (previously only weekends and the final day). A new laser and projection mapping show narrating the history of the Wadiyar dynasty will be displayed on the palace facade every evening at 8:30 PM. Travel advisories indicate that Mysore hotels are already seeing brisk bookings for the Dussehra period. Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation is operating special bus packages from Bangalore, Chennai, and Hyderabad. The Mysore Airport will handle additional flights during the festival period with temporary runway extensions.