This Dussehra celebration has neither Rama nor Ravana!

It is Dussehra today, one of India's biggest festivals and also the culmination of Durga Puja and Navratri. While the rest of India, apart from West Bengal, celebrates Dussehra as the day Ravana was killed by Rama as per the ancient scripture of Ramayana, there is a place that has place for none of the two central figures. It's a huge lure for enthusiasts from all around the country at that.

Yes, we are hinting at Mysuru's grand Dussehra celebration. The celebration here goes 400 years back and is a grand 10-day celebration. Yet, rather than celebrating it with Rama or Ravana at its core, Mysuru's Dussehra celebrations are centered around Goddess Chamundeshwari. The last day of the festival sees her idol, perched on a seat made out of around 750 kg of gold, atop an elephant. The idol is carried out in a procession that is eagerly awaited for. The elaborate procession starts from the famous Mysore Palace and culminates at Bannimantap.
Goddess Chamundeshwar is believed to be a form of Goddess Durga, and the slayer of demon king, Mahishasura. The city of Mysuru derives its name from the demon king itself. Legends say that Dussehra marks the day when the Goddess killed Mahishasura after a fierce battle that lasted days. This is the main reason why the main idol of the deity is in a warrior form rather than the image of Goddess Durga.

Mysruru Dussehra was first organised by the erstwhile rules of Vijayangara in the 15th century, and is a major festival in the region now, with the Mysore Palace open to all. It is also hailed as the State Festival of Karnataka. The lighting of Mysore Palace and Chamundi Hills is a major attraction apart from the procession here.