Banu Mushtaq inaugurates Mysuru Dasara festivities amid row
International Booker Prize winner Banu Mushtaq inaugurates the 11-day festival after the Supreme Court dismissed a plea challenging her invitation
Booker Prize-winning writer Banu Mushtaq on Monday (September 22) inaugurated the famous Mysuru Dasara festival, kicking off festivities across the city and royal palaces.
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Mushtaq takes part in rituals
Mushtaq inaugurated the festivities during the auspicious 'Vrushchika Lagna by showering flowers on the idol of goddess Chamundeshwari, the presiding deity of Mysuru and its royals, amid chanting of Vedic hymns by priests, at the premises of Chamundeshwari temple atop the Chamundi Hills in Mysuru.
Celebrated as 'Nada Habba' (state festival), the 11-day Dasara or 'Sharan Navaratri' festivities are expected to be a grand affair this year, showcasing Karnataka's rich culture and traditions, coupled with reminiscence of royal pomp and glory.
In the inaugural event, Mushtaq was accompanied by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, several ministers in the state cabinet, among others.
Earlier, Mushtaq, along with the chief minister and other dignitaries, visited the Chamundeshwari temple and offered prayers to the goddess, referred to as the "Naada Devate" (state deity), ahead of the inaugural.
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Row and SC order
The festivities come amid a raging controversy over the Karnataka government’s decision to invite Mushtaq, a Muslim, to inaugurate the festival. With the Supreme Court dismissing a petition that challenged the state’s move, the way was cleared for the festivities to go ahead as scheduled.
Earlier, on September 15, the Karnataka High Court had also declined to intervene in the government’s choice of Mushtaq — a writer and activist whose collection of Kannada short stories translated into English won the 2025 International Booker Prize — to preside over the inauguration.
On September 19, the Supreme Court bench dismissed the petition objecting to a Muslim inaugurating the historic Dasara festivities and clarified that the event was organised by the State of Karnataka, which is secular and “maintains no religion of its own,” echoing the observation of a 1994 Constitution Bench in the M Ismail Faruqui judgment on the validity of the Ayodhya Act.
(With agency inputs)