Mysuru, 17 Dec

Following the grand Dasara celebrations, Mysuru is all set to welcome tourists for its annual 10-day Winter Festival, or Maaghi Utsav, at the Mysuru Palace from 21 December. Organised by the Mysuru District Administration and Mysuru Palace Board, the event aims to boost tourism during the year-end holiday season.

Tourist arrivals have already begun, with hotels, homestays and service apartments reporting strong bookings. The city boasts over 10,500 rooms across 425 establishments, including luxury hotels and properties on the Outer Ring Road.

The festival will be inaugurated at 4 pm on December 21 by District In-charge Minister HC Mahadevappa, featuring a flower show, cultural programmes and a doll’s house at the palace premises. Evening cultural events will start at 7.15 pm daily, with performances by Kannada musicians including Manikant Kadri, Vasuki Vaibhav and Ajay Warrior. The palace will be illuminated from 7pm to 9pm throughout the festival.

Highlights of the 11th edition of the flower show include replicas of Sringeri Temple and Mummadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar, a portrait of environmentalist Salumara Thimmakka, Operation Sindoor artillery, Women’s Cricket World Cup winners, and the preamble of the Constitution. About 25,000 flower pots featuring over 35 species, including marigold, chrysanthemum, aster, bonsai and orchids, will be displayed. Five to six lakh roses, along with ornamental flowers such as gerbera, anthurium and blue daisy, will adorn the replicas.

Deputy Director TS Subramanya said the festival has been held for 11 years to promote tourism, with Mysuru attracting over 45 lakh visitors annually.