From November 11 to 21, the Archaeology Museum and Heritage Department area inside the Dasara exhibition grounds at Dodda Kere Maidan in Mysuru will host a special Navadurga doll display, a first‑time attraction aimed at drawing tourists to the state’s Dasara celebrations.
The department has decided to arrange five rows of dolls that portray the avatars of Navadurga in the Varanda, following the traditional practice of setting up dolls on an odd number of tiers, with each avatar’s dolls selected by officials.
The nine avatars to be represented are Shailaputri, Brahmacharini, Chandraghanta, Kushmanda, Skandamata, Katyayani, Kalaratri, Mahagauri and Siddhidatri.
Deputy Director (Heritage) C.N. Manjula told journalists that the department will also showcase Navadurga dolls as part of the Navaratri doll‑arranging tradition.
During the house‑to‑house outreach, doll arrangers will visit 10 to 15 homes and award prizes; the top three awards are Rs 5,000, Rs 3,000 and Rs 2,000. Applications will be invited, and visits to view dolls will take place from the 11th to the 14th.
To raise tourist awareness of Mysore’s heritage, historic sites and traditional architecture, organizers will hold traditional bicycle rides, heritage walks and other programmes, with history experts providing site information. A tanga ride will be arranged for couples dressed in Mysore peta, panche and Mysore silk saree.
A “Selfie with Heritage Building” photo competition is being launched to attract youth and Gen‑Z participants; applications are invited and three winners will receive prizes for the best heritage‑themed selfies.
Manjula, Deputy Director of the Heritage Department, said that a range of events has been organized during Dasara to effectively showcase Mysore’s cultural legacy.