Author: katsquare

Mysore’s Chamarajendra Zoo is hosting a wildlife photo competition and exhibition from October 2 to October 8, each day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., as part of ವನ್ಯಜೀವಿ ಸಪ್ತಾಹ (Wildlife Week). The event invites photographers to submit images that capture the zoo’s animal residents and aims to promote wildlife awareness among visitors.

The contest is divided into two categories – wildlife and wildlife zoo – with two cash prizes and three certificates awarded in each category. Entries can be submitted until September 24.

For further details, visit www.mysuruzoo.info or contact Executive Director Anusha P. as noted in the release. Phone numbers: 260908‑39‑1896603673.

In Mysuru, Mehul J Patel, state president of the LPG Distributors of India, said the Union government has lowered the minimum waiting period for rural households to book a fresh LPG cylinder from 45 days to 25 days, aligning rural booking rules with those in urban areas and aiming to ease access for families that use more gas.

Under the revised rule, a rural consumer may place a new refill order once 25 days have passed since the previous cylinder was delivered. The change is expected to give greater convenience to rural households, particularly those with higher LPG usage. Patel noted that the 25‑day interval came into force after an official notification dated September 7, 2026.

On Monday, the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) urged all property owners with outstanding tax dues to settle them immediately and instructed officials to begin action against defaulters. In a special review meeting, Commissioner MK Savitha examined ward‑wise defaulter lists, outlined the three‑notice legal process mandated by government rules and the 2025 Gazette, and set a deadline of end‑September for completing notices, while also ordering the collection of service charges from tax‑exempt institutions.

Pursuant to the Gazette notification, each defaulter must receive a first, second and third notice before any enforcement step. If the tax remains unpaid after these notices, the corporation may invoke legal measures such as property attachment or seizure as allowed by law. The commissioner directed zonal officials to finish issuing all notices by the end of September and warned that any remaining arrears after that period will trigger further legal action. Additionally, she ordered officials to ensure mandatory service‑charge collection from institutions exempt from property tax, following a detailed review of such collections across the city.

On Monday, the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) urged all property owners with outstanding tax dues to settle them immediately and instructed officials to begin action against defaulters. In a special review meeting, Commissioner MK Savitha examined ward‑wise defaulter lists, outlined the three‑notice legal process mandated by government rules and the 2025 Gazette, and set a deadline of end‑September for completing notices, while also ordering the collection of service charges from tax‑exempt institutions.

Pursuant to the Gazette notification, each defaulter must receive a first, second and third notice before any enforcement step. If the tax remains unpaid after these notices, the corporation may invoke legal measures such as property attachment or seizure as allowed by law. The commissioner directed zonal officials to finish issuing all notices by the end of September and warned that any remaining arrears after that period will trigger further legal action. Additionally, she ordered officials to ensure mandatory service‑charge collection from institutions exempt from property tax, following a detailed review of such collections across the city.

The Karnataka state government has cancelled this year’s Dasara film festival, citing low public turnout and financial constraints. Deputy Commissioner G Lakshmikanth Reddy said audiences have been poor for five years, with only three to five viewers in some theatres and the event costing Rs 40‑45 lakh annually. The decision has angered film lovers and prompted protests from veteran filmmakers, including director SV Rajendra Singh Babu.

Cultural associations accused the government of diverting the festival’s budget to organise kambala, for which Rs 8 crore is earmarked.

Veteran personalities, led by SV Rajendra Singh Babu, lodged a protest, arguing that cancelling the festival demotivates artists while the state builds a film city at Immavu industrial area near Mysuru to boost Kannada cinema. They urged the government to rethink the move and blamed it for excluding experts, Kannada directors and artists from the Dasara film festival sub‑committee in recent years.

The festival typically required Rs 40‑50 lakh to run. In the 2025 Dasara edition, the sub‑committee screened 17 world‑cinema titles, 25 Indian films, 18 Kannada movies and nine award‑winning works by women and children, and annually selected the best films to encourage emerging talent.

“Dropping the festival this year has really upset individuals involved in film and theatre production, especially those making short films, and discouraged them from continuing in film production as film not only educates, entertains and spreads awareness but also builds bridges between cultures,” said Manu, organiser of the Rangayana Bahuroopi Film Festival.

Environmentalists and farmers have sent a letter, dated September 7, 2026, to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi urging him to intervene and halt the Karnataka government’s plan to stage the Kambala (buffalo race) during Mysuru Dasara, contending that the event would worsen the severe drought, drain scarce water supplies and cause environmental damage.

A delegation headed by MLA Darshan Puttannaiah met former chief minister Siddaramaiah and asked him to counsel current chief minister D K Shivakumar to abandon the Kambala proposal; the appeal was also signed by the Joint Action Committee, which includes Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha, Dalit Sangharsha Samiti, Parisarakkagi Naavu and Bhoomithayi Horata Samiti. The groups clarified they are not opposed to cultural exchange programmes that showcase art and culture from other districts, provided such events do not damage the environment or the identity of Mysuru Dasara.

The letter notes that 101 taluks have already been declared drought‑hit, with roughly 60 additional taluks expected to join the list, leaving farmers in distress as standing crops have withered and sowing remains impossible in many areas. Borewells in several parts of Mysuru city have run dry, creating a drinking‑water crisis, while the Cauvery river water dispute continues to intensify.

Organisers plan to bring about 400 buffaloes and thousands of handlers for a two‑day spectacle, clear vegetation on 25 acres for the slush tracks and use lakhs of litres of water, even as track work accelerates amid the drought and growing environmental concerns.

Residents of Mysuru are facing an unusual heatwave, with the city recording a maximum temperature of 34.2°C on Sunday. This is nearly 5°C above the normal September temperature of 29.4°C and one of the highest temperatures recorded in the city during September in recent years.

The previous instance of such a high temperature was on September 15, 2018, when it also hit 34.2°C. Earlier this month, on September 5, Mysuru recorded 34°C, making it the second‑warmest day of the month. Former Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC) director G Srinivasa Reddy said the sharp rise could signal the start of an intense El Niño‑related phase and warned that Karnataka may endure a prolonged dry spell until the last week of September.

On Monday, temperatures eased slightly to around 32°C under cloudy skies, offering some respite, but residents said the heat was already hard to bear. “It is impossible to stay indoors without an AC or cooler. Mysuru generally experiences moderate weather during September and October, with occasional rain, but this year the heat has been extremely uncomfortable,” said Sharada Timmaiah, a retired academician from Bogadi.

Between June 1 and September 7, Chamarajanagar posted the state’s highest rainfall deficit at 58% below normal, while Mysuru and Vijayanagara each recorded deficits of 57% below normal.

Mysuru, a long‑standing tourist hub, saw foreign arrivals plunge to only a few thousand in 2026 after attracting lakhs in 2023‑24. Industry insiders blame insufficient global promotion and the absence of district‑level tourism schemes, while the state tourism department has turned to QR‑code guides, vloggers and a new helline to curb misinformation and extend visitor stays.

Following complaints that some touts were giving false information about attraction closures and steering visitors to commission‑paying shops, the tourism department deployed temporary patrolling units across the city and launched a tourist helpline. Its website now links directly to the Palace and Zoo portals and lists five‑star hotel options to enhance visitor safety.

The department has earmarked 26 key sites for development and awareness, including Mysuru Palace, Jaganmohan Art Gallery, Mysuru Zoo, Chamundi Hill, Varuna Lake, Lingambudhi Lake, Kaveri Multi Media Art Gallery, Talakadu, Somanathapura, Gargeshwari, Cauvery river basins, Nanjangud, Tagadur Temple Complex, Badanavalu Gandhi Ashram, Karapura, Kabini backwaters, Gommatagiri, Nagarahole Safari, Chikkahunasuru Kere, Bylakuppe Golden Temple, Chunchanakatte Falls, Saligrama Doddakere, Chikkadevaramma Betta, Kabini, and the Taraka & Nugu Dams.

Despite the downturn, Mysuru Palace remains the top priority for tourists, consistently drawing the highest numbers over the past five years thanks to its architecture, history and royal legacy. Chamundi Hill follows as the next most visited spot, with Talakadu and Somanathapura also retaining strong appeal.

Foreign visitor figures show a steep decline: 2021 – 766 (COVID‑19), 2022 – 13,881, 2023 – 2,13,941, 2024 – 1,85,549, 2025 – 93,201, and 2026 – 19,086 (up to the end of February).

The Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC) will run six ‘Ambaari’ open‑top double‑decker buses in Mysuru during the 21‑day Dasara illumination, with trips starting once the Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation (CESC) lights up the city. Each bus seats 47 and will offer three evening trips at 6:30 pm, 8:00 pm and 9:30 pm, priced at Rs 250 for the lower deck and Rs 500 for the upper deck.

On weekends the service will be limited to two trips because of expected crowds. Of the six buses, one is currently in Mysuru while the other five are based in Bengaluru; the Mysuru unit is undergoing manufacturer servicing before all six are assembled for the festival. Deputy Chief Minister Dr G Parameshwara has asked for one bus to serve Tumakuru’s Dasara, and a decision on that request is pending—if approved, five buses will operate in Mysuru, otherwise all six will remain here.

All vehicles will receive thorough maintenance, servicing and fitness certification prior to deployment. The route will start at Mayura Hoysala on JLB Road, proceed via Hunsur Road, Crawford Hall, Maharaja’s College Grounds, Ramaswamy Circle, Chamaraja Double Road, Gun House Circle, Hardinge Circle, K.R. Circle, Sayyaji Rao Road, Government Ayurveda Circle and Railway Station Junction, and finish back at Mayura Hotel.

More than 12,000 passengers rode the open‑top buses during last year’s 21‑day Dasara illumination, with annual ridership having risen by roughly 2,000 passengers in recent years.

On Saturday, a 5K marathon in Mysuru attracted scores of students, aiming to sensitize the younger generation to heart health, neurological well‑being, physical fitness and the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. Neurologist Dr. Shushrutha Gowda of Neurozone warned of rising stress‑related and heart issues post‑COVID, while Hunsur MLA G. D. Harish Gowda urged youths to curb gadget dependence and adopt active pursuits.

Dr. Shushrutha Gowda, a neurologist and founder of Neurozone, emphasized that prevention outweighs cure, urging young people to balance work, studies and personal life, maintain a nutritious diet, exercise regularly and manage stress to avert lifestyle‑related diseases.

Hunsur MLA G. D. Harish Gowda called on the youth to engage in activities such as running, swimming, cycling, yoga and meditation, stressing that these can markedly improve both physical and mental well‑being.