The world famous Mysuru Dasara 2026 celebrations will add another colourful cultural attraction to their busy calendar, with a traditional Rangoli competition in place for women.
The Women and Child Dasara Sub-Committee is making a special presentation to women on October 13 at 7 am in the historic Mysuru Palace where they will be able to show off their traditional art and to display their art in the face of one of the state’s oldest and most iconic buildings.
Rangoli is an integral part of Indian culture, and festivals and celebrations have been happening for generations. Families always have the front door of their house decorated with flowers and patterns on auspicious occasions, festivals and special occasions. The designs can be as basic geometric as floral, traditional and contemporary.
So that we can bring the art to the Mysuru Dasara festival and give women a place to celebrate this cultural tradition and show their artistic talent.
The competition is open to all women aged 18 years and above. Participants can be creative and innovative and use traditional Rangoli designs and add their own interpretation. Women with a passion for traditional arts and festival decorations and just want a taste for Mysuru Dasara are expected to be in the mix.
We have said to women who are eligible to come in large numbers to take part in the event and have such opportunities as the festival decorations which we have done in the past.
However, interested participants need to register to participate in the competition before they get involved. The organisers said that registration will be open until 6 p.m. on October 12. Women who want to participate need to register their names in advance and not make a decision on the day of the event.
The registration is organized through the proper offices in Mysuru for people from rural and urban areas to register.
Women can register directly at the Child Development Project Officer's office in Banimantap, Mysuru, under the urban division. Participants from the rural division can register at the Child Development Project Officer's office located at K.D. Circle in Vijayanagar 2nd Stage. These centres will accept registrations until the specified deadline on October 12 evening.
For more details, the urban office will be at 0821-2491962 and rural office at 0821-2567940. Organisers have also provided direct contact numbers for those wishing to know more details. Prathibha N. at 9036335392 and Girija Yadrami at 8618303115 are the interested parties for information and registration.
The fact that we are also going to organise the women's Rangoli Competition as part of Dasara festival shows the cultural and community-oriented nature of the Mysuru festival.
The big Dasara celebrations are much more about the Jamboo Savari, cultural activities, exhibitions and traditional performances but smaller local events are vital to keeping local art forms alive. A Rangoli competition allows participants to celebrate an art form which has traditionally been passed down through generations.
The historic Mysuru Palace will be one of the most striking locations for the competition. We expect women to make colourful patterns in the palace's grounds, so this will surely become one of the most striking parts of Dasara’s cultural calendar. And not only will they be able to show off their skills, but also to be part of the festivity of Mysuru Dasara which is quite a celebration.
Women from traditional art and creative expression have been invited to participate in the event and that is what we would like women to do.
When the registration deadline is October 12, women who wish to participate must sign up by 6 p.m. in Mysuru Palace. Thereafter, the Rangoli Competition will take place on October 13 at 7 a.m. in Mysuru Palace. With a new and huge edition of the district’s celebrated Dasara festival coming up, this event will add to it an explosion of creativity by women that is not only an Indian tradition but also from Karnataka’s cultural heritage.
