Banu Mushtaq invited to inaugurate Mysuru Dasara by district administration

Hassan: Mysuru district administration on Wednesday formally invited International Booker Prize winner Banu Mushtaq to inaugurate this year’s ‘Mysuru Dasara’, despite objections from some sections, including the opposition BJP.

A team of officials led by Mysuru Deputy Commissioner (DC) Lakshmikanth Reddy G visited Mushtaq’s residence here and gave her the invitation, after felicitating her with a traditional silk shawl and a Mysuru Peta (turban).

Dasaracelebration will begin in Mysuru from September 22 and culminate on ‘Vijayadashami’, which falls on October 2.

“Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has chosen Banu Mushtaq to inaugurate the Mysuru Dasara-2025 at Chamundi hill on September 22. He had directed the Mysuru district administration to invite her respectfully, and accordingly the district administration has come to Hassan and invited her. She has happily accepted the invitation,” the Mysuru DC said after extending the invitation.

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Mushtaq expressed her gratitude to the people of Karnataka, the government, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and the district administration of Mysuru for bestowing on her the honour to inaugurate Dasara, the ‘Nada Habba’ (state festival).

She did not wish to make any comments on the recent developments, including the controversy over inviting her.

Objections have been raised by the BJP leaders and others to the state government’s decision to invite Mushtaq to inaugurate the Dasara festivities, following an old video that went viral, in which she has reportedly expressed reservations about worshipping the Kannada language as “Goddess Bhuvaneshwari”, stating that it was exclusionary to people like her (minorities).

Several BJP leaders have asked Mushtaq to clarify her reverence towards Goddess Chamundeshwari before consenting to inaugurate the Dasara. However, Mushtaq, on her part, has said that her statement has been distorted by making selective parts of her old speech go viral on social media.

Dasara is traditionally inaugurated by showering flowers on the idol of goddess Chamundeshwari, the presiding deity of Mysuru and its royals, amid chanting of Vedic hymns, on the premises of Chamundeshwari temple atop the Chamundi Hills in Mysuru.

Accusing the BJP of politicising Mysuru Dasara, Siddaramaiahhas said the festival is celebrated by people belonging to all communities as ‘Nada Habba’, and writer Banu Mushtaq has been invited to inaugurate it, to honour her, for winning International Booker Prize.

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