Mysore: The main attraction of the world-famous Mysore Dussehra is the Jumboo Savari. The city and palace lights add to its splendor. This time, the city of palaces is abuzz with lights, drawing a throng of people daily to witness it. Attractive replicas have been installed in the palace, the surrounding area, and along major roads and circles.
The Palace’s Golden Glow: Witnessing the Mysore Palace’s golden glow is a unique experience. A total of 96,700 special bulbs have been installed to illuminate the palace. Significantly, these 15-watt bulbs, shaped like ancient skulls, are unavailable in the market.
These bulbs are supplied by a Delhi-based company and are not available anywhere else in the market. These bulbs are custom-made to order. The wire inside the bulb has a golden glow, which is why the palace’s illumination appears like a golden glow.
96,700 bulbs have been installed to illuminate the Mysore Palace. During Dussehra, the palace will remain illuminated for 10 days. After Dussehra, the lights will be on for only one hour on holidays and every Sunday. Normally, the electricity bill is 10 to 12 lakh rupees per month. Additionally, during Dussehra, the electricity bill is approximately 15 to 20 lakh rupees per 10 days. Every year, 15 to 20 thousand old bulbs worth 5 to 10 lakh rupees are replaced.
Chief Engineer Shivkumar, who oversees the palace’s lighting, told ETV Bharat, “96,700 specially manufactured incandescent bulbs have been used to illuminate the three main gates, temples, and palace complex of the Mysuru Palace. There are power houses on three sides of the palace for lighting. The lighting switches are controlled from there.
The Chief Engineer added that during Dussehra, special lighting is used for the palace’s private Durbar Hall and Kalyan Mandapas. In 1897, the British architect Henry Irwin constructed the Mysuru Palace at a cost of approximately ₹4.2 million (4.2 million rupees) using only human power and without any machinery. Later, in 1988, the palace was illuminated, earning it the distinction of being the first palace in Asia to use LED bulbs.”
LED Bulbs for Lighting This Time: In a meeting of the High Power Committee, the Chief Minister directed that this year’s electric lighting be made extremely attractive. Against this backdrop, electric lighting has been arranged to complement the material in the palace. Additionally, LED bulbs have been used to save electricity. Additional lighting stands have also been built to enhance the lighting’s appeal.
Circle Lighting: Each circle in the city has been illuminated using architect modules. Colorful bulbs have been imported from Kolkata for the lighting. Along with the lighting, the drone show is also impressive. This time, the show will be performed using 3,000 drones, which will leave visitors awestruck.
Circle Lighting for 15 Days After Dussehra: CESSCOM MD Munigopalaraju told ETV Bharat, “Dussehra lighting is from September 22nd to October 2nd, but the Chief Minister has directed that it continue for a few more days. Therefore, the lighting will remain for 15 days after Dussehra. To avoid any accidents, the MD appealed to the public not to touch anything while taking selfies.”
