Mysore Dasara 2026 runs from Sunday, 11 October to Wednesday, 21 October. That final day also carries the grand Jamboo Savari elephant procession. Getting that date right matters more than most travel pages admit.
The panchang marks Vijayadashami on 20 October, yet Karnataka holds its state procession on 21 October. Book around the wrong day, and you reach a quiet city while the real crowds gather later.
In short, this guide sets out the confirmed Mysore Dasara 2026 schedule day by day. It also covers the real ticket prices, the free viewing spots, and what to do when the passes sell out.
Temples Map is an independent travel and temple information guide. We are not affiliated with the Mysuru district administration, the Karnataka government, or the Mysore Palace Board. We also do not sell tickets, passes, or tour packages. Instead, every booking happens only on the official Dasara portal linked below.
Mysore Dasara 2026 at a Glance
- Festival dates: Sunday, 11 October to Wednesday, 21 October 2026 (11 days)
- Inauguration: Chamundi Hill, late morning of 11 October
- Jamboo Savari: Wednesday, 21 October, floral tribute 4.10 pm to 4.35 pm
- Torchlight Parade: Bannimantap grounds, evening of 21 October
- Panchang Vijayadashami: Tuesday, 20 October, a day before the procession
- Only official ticket portal: mysoredasara.gov.in
- Free to watch: the roadside procession route, palace illumination, most cultural stages
Mysore Dasara 2026 Dates: When the Festival Starts and Ends
Mysore Dasara 2026 opens on Sunday, 11 October with a puja to Goddess Chamundeshwari atop Chamundi Hill. It finally closes on Wednesday, 21 October with the Jamboo Savari and the Torchlight Parade. Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar announced the calendar in July 2026, well before the season. The state has planned an 11-day edition this time, rather than the usual ten.
Two preparatory dates passed before the festival week. For example, the Dasara elephants began their ceremonial Gajapayana march on 26 July. The squad subsequently received its formal welcome at the Mysuru Palace gate on 26 August.
However, reports of the exact start time, or muhurta, differ slightly. News agency ANI reported an 11.00 am start. PTI and several Karnataka dailies, meanwhile, reported 11.50 am during Dhanur Lagna. Because the district administration publishes the final programme closer to the day, treat the slot as late morning and confirm it officially.
Why Dussehra Falls on 20 October but the Procession Is on 21 October
This is the most common Mysore Dasara 2026 planning mistake, so it is worth spelling out. Ashwin Shukla Dashami, in fact, begins at 12.50 pm on 20 October 2026. It then ends at 2.11 pm the next day.
Panchangams generally place Vijayadashami on the day when Dashami covers the afternoon aparahna window. National calendars therefore mark Dussehra on Tuesday, 20 October.
Karnataka still schedules the Jamboo Savari on Wednesday, 21 October. That is also the Bengal Vijayadashami date. So if you fly in for Dussehra and leave on the 21st morning, you miss the procession entirely. Plan your stay around 21 October instead.
Day-by-Day Mysore Dasara 2026 Schedule
Overall, the first five days of Mysore Dasara 2026 stay relatively calm. Mysuru builds its celebrations from the sixth day onward, because that is the old court custom. Cultural programmes run every evening at four to five venues, while the heritage buildings stay lit throughout.
| Date | Day | Main event |
|---|---|---|
| 11 Oct | Sunday | Inauguration at Chamundi Hill; cultural programmes open |
| 12–15 Oct | Mon–Thu | Navaratri pujas; exhibition, food and sports events begin |
| 16 Oct | Friday | Saraswati puja day; cultural stages at full strength |
| 17–18 Oct | Sat–Sun | Peak weekend crowds; palace illumination busiest |
| 19 Oct | Monday | Durgashtami observances |
| 20 Oct | Tuesday | Mahanavami; royal sword worship; panchang Vijayadashami |
| 21 Oct | Wednesday | Jamboo Savari and Torchlight Parade |
Treat the middle rows as the shape of a normal Dasara, not a signed timetable. Moreover, the district administration releases the venue-wise programme only weeks ahead. Check it before you lock in any show timings.
Jamboo Savari 2026: Route, Timing and What Really Happens
The Jamboo Savari carries the idol of Goddess Chamundeshwari in a 750 kg gold-covered howdah. Locals call it the Ambari, while a lead tusker bears it. The procession travels roughly five kilometres from the Mysore Palace to Bannimantapa, where priests worship the Banni tree.
Altogether about a dozen decorated elephants take part. Tableaux, folk troupes, police bands, horses and camels follow too. Because the column moves slowly, the full route takes several hours.
The Chief Minister performs the pushparchane, or floral tribute, between 4.10 pm and 4.35 pm during Meena Lagna. Only after that does the procession leave the palace gates. That window sits later than the early-afternoon slots of recent years. As a result, the tail of the procession will reach Bannimantapa well after dark.
One detail catches first-timers out. The most photographed stretch happens inside the palace premises, and that enclosure needs a ticket. Instead, the free view is the road between the palace and Bannimantapa.
Torchlight Parade at Bannimantap
The Torchlight Parade, known locally as Panjina Kavayatthu, closes the festival. It runs on the evening of 21 October at the Bannimantap parade grounds. Mounted police, marching squads and torch-bearing formations perform in near-darkness, so carry a low-light camera. Recent editions have added drone and laser displays before the fireworks.
Here is a tip that saves visitors money. Rehearsals in full dress take place at the same ground on the two or three evenings before. They draw far smaller crowds. Gold-card holders have also been allowed into a rehearsal when they could not make the main night.
Mysore Palace Illumination Timings
Close to one lakh bulbs outline the domes and arches of Amba Vilas Palace during the festival. Indeed, this is the free experience almost everyone remembers. Through recent Dasaras the palace has glowed from 7.00 pm to 9.00 pm daily. On Vijayadashami night, though, the lights stay on until 10.00 pm.
Outside the festival the palace lights up only on Sundays and public holidays, usually 7.00 pm to 8.00 pm. Confirm the 2026 slots on the official portal, since the schedule shifts with the programme each year.
Mysore Dasara 2026 Tickets and Gold Card Prices
The government sells tickets for Mysore Dasara 2026 only online, on mysoredasara.gov.in. So there is no counter sale, no agent quota, and no approved reseller. Officials still had not announced the 2026 rates when we updated this guide. So the 2025 official prices below are the fairest reference point.
| Pass | 2025 price | All-inclusive | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dasara Gold Card | ₹6,500 | ₹6,961 | Palace enclosure, Torchlight Parade, attractions |
| Jamboo Savari seat | ₹3,500 | ₹3,748 | Procession viewing inside palace premises |
| Torchlight Parade | ₹1,500 | — | Bannimantap grounds seating |
Basically, two limits decide whether you get one. The committee prints only about 2,000 gold cards each year and sells them first-come, first-served. In 2023, for instance, the entire batch went in minutes.
Palace seating shrank too. Officials cut it to 48,000 in 2025, down from 59,600 the year before, once the state tightened crowd-control rules.
The Fake “Official” Dasara Site Problem
Search for Dasara tickets and the first result is often not the government site. Take mysoredasara.org, for example. Its own homepage says plainly that it is not the official Dasara website, and that a Bengaluru travel agency owns it.
Of course that operator is genuine. Still, the near-identical domain misleads thousands of people every year. The rule is simple, because the official portal ends in .gov.in. Therefore anything charging a processing fee on a .com or .org domain is a package seller at best.
What If the Tickets Sell Out?
Nothing is guaranteed here, and the gold card usually is not. Even so, if the batch has gone, four workable options remain.
- Watch the procession free from the road toward Bannimantapa, since that stretch costs nothing.
- Buy a Torchlight Parade ticket alone, since it lasts longer in the sale.
- Attend a parade rehearsal evening instead of the main night.
- Otherwise skip 21 October and visit the weekend before, for the illumination and cultural programmes.
Free Ways to See Mysore Dasara 2026 Without a Ticket
Most of Mysore Dasara 2026 costs nothing. In fact, the roadside procession route stays open to everyone. So do the nightly palace illumination, the cultural stages, the flower show, the food mela and the heritage walks.
Take your spot along Sayyaji Rao Road before early afternoon on 21 October. Barricades go up hours ahead. Once the procession starts, police close the crossing points, so the spot you pick is the spot you keep.
How to Reach Mysuru for the Festival
Mysuru sits about 145 km from Bengaluru. Generally the drive takes three hours on the ten-lane expressway. During Dasara week, though, budget four to five hours, because traffic thickens from the outskirts onward.
By train, Mysuru Junction is roughly a kilometre from the palace. That therefore makes it the least stressful arrival for procession day. Frequent services run from Bengaluru, including Vande Bharat and Shatabdi options.
KSRTC buses reach the city bus stand about 5 km from the festival core. Meanwhile the nearest large airport remains Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International, around 190 km away.
Above all, book your room early. Rooms across Mysuru fill months ahead for Vijayadashami week, and rates climb once the dates go public. If the city is full, Srirangapatna and Nanjangud instead make practical bases within an hour’s drive.
Crowd Safety and Who Should Plan Differently
Dasara draws lakhs of visitors, and 21 October is genuinely crowded. Karnataka reduced palace seating and tightened crowd rules following a fatal stampede in Bengaluru in June 2025. Expect stricter barricading, earlier gate closures and bag checks, especially near the palace.
Plan around the physical demand honestly. Free roadside viewing can mean four to six hours of standing, so wear proper shoes. Water and toilets are scarce along the route, which is hard on elderly pilgrims, pregnant women and small children.
The Chamundeshwari temple sits atop Chamundi Hill, and the stone stairway runs to roughly a thousand steps. Carry water and start early, because the climb is long. Take the road and bus route instead when mobility or heart conditions are a concern. Speak to your doctor before a long day in the sun or a strenuous climb.
Insider Tips Most Dasara Guides Miss
- Visit Chamundi Hill on a weekday early in the festival, rather than on 21 October. That road chokes from morning on procession day.
- The exhibition at Doddakere Maidan continues for weeks after the procession, so a quieter return trip works.
- Besides, elephants train at the palace for weeks, so watching them bathe and feed costs nothing.
- Carry cash, because network congestion near Bannimantapa regularly breaks card and UPI payments.
- Read the hotel cancellation policy before paying, since Dasara rates are often non-refundable.
Before You Go
Mysore Dasara 2026 gives you an 11-day window, yet only one procession day. Build the trip around 21 October, and certainly arrive by 20 October. Treat everything before that as a bonus rather than the main event.
Buy passes only on mysoredasara.gov.in, and likewise ignore every lookalike domain. If the gold card has gone, the free road view and a rehearsal evening still deliver most of the spectacle. Verify the final programme, illumination hours and prices officially, because these change every year.
Planning a wider trip? Our guide to the must-visit places in Mysore city pairs well with festival week. The Chamundeshwari Devi temple darshan timings also matter if you plan the hill visit. For a half-day escape, the Ranganathaswamy temple at Srirangapatna is under an hour away.
Karnataka Tourism lists the festival on its events page. The Ministry of Tourism also profiles it on utsav.gov.in.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the exact Mysore Dasara 2026 dates?
Mysore Dasara 2026 runs from Sunday, 11 October to Wednesday, 21 October 2026. Karnataka confirmed the 11-day calendar in July 2026, well before the season. The inauguration takes place on Chamundi Hill, while the Jamboo Savari closes the festival.
Is Vijayadashami on 20 or 21 October 2026?
Panchangams place Vijayadashami on Tuesday, 20 October 2026, because Dashami covers the aparahna window that day. Karnataka still holds the Mysuru procession on Wednesday, 21 October. So plan your travel around 21 October.
How do I book Mysore Dasara tickets online?
All passes go on sale at the official portal mysoredasara.gov.in, usually a few weeks before the festival. Consequently there is no offline counter and no approved agent. Register on the portal, pick the pass, and finally pay online.
How much does the Dasara Gold Card cost?
Officials still had not announced the 2026 price at the time of writing. In 2025 the gold card cost ₹6,500, or ₹6,961 after booking fee and GST. It also covered the palace enclosure, the Torchlight Parade and major attractions. Confirm the current rate officially.
Can I watch the Jamboo Savari for free?
Yes. The ticket applies only to seating inside the palace premises. In contrast, the five-kilometre road stretch to Bannimantapa is free. Claim a spot several hours early, though, because barricades close off the crossings.
Is mysoredasara.org the official website?
No. That site states on its own homepage that it is not the official Dasara website. Indeed, a Bengaluru travel agency owns it. The official government portal is mysoredasara.gov.in, which ends in .gov.in.
What time does the Mysore Palace illumination start?
During recent Dasaras the palace glowed from 7.00 pm to 9.00 pm daily. On Vijayadashami night, though, the lights stayed on until 10.00 pm. Outside the festival, illumination runs on Sundays and public holidays, usually 7.00 pm to 8.00 pm.
How many days should I spend in Mysuru for Dasara?
Two full days work well. To begin with, arrive on 20 October for the illumination and cultural programmes. Next, keep 21 October free for the procession and the Torchlight Parade. Overall, a single-day trip rarely covers both the festival and the city.
Is the Mysore Dasara procession suitable for elderly visitors?
Only with planning. Free roadside viewing means hours of standing, because the crowds pack tightly. Therefore ticketed seating or a hotel balcony along the route is safer. Carry water and medication, and avoid the Chamundi Hill steps on procession day.