Mysuru Dasara 2025 to be a rare 11-day festival; Vijayadashami likely to fall on October 2

Mysuru Dasara 2025 will be a rare 11-day celebration due to Panchami falling twice in Shukla Paksha. Navratri will begin on September 22, and Vijayadashami is likely to be observed on October 2, coinciding with Gandhi Jayanti.

Mysuru: This year, the Mysuru Dasara festival will be celebrated over 11 days, an unusual extension due to the occurrence of Panchami twice in the Shukla Paksha of September. The final date for the iconic Jamboo Savari procession will be decided by the state government in consultation with religious and cultural experts.

Dasara becomes Dasharatri this year 

Traditionally a nine-day event, Navaratri begins the day after Mahalaya Amavasya, which falls on September 21 this year. Accordingly, Navratri should begin on September 22. However, with Panchami falling on both September 26 and 27, the event will now be a 10-day Navratri, commonly referred to as Dasharatri, a rare occurrence in the history of the Dasara festival.

Vijayadashami on Gandhi Jayanti 

This year, Vijayadashami is expected to be celebrated on October 2, which also marks Gandhi Jayanti. However, due to differences in panchanga (almanac) interpretations between the public calendar and the royal Mysore Palace calendar, the dates may vary. Traditionally, the Wadiyar dynasty follows the palace panchanga for Dasara rituals.

Confusion over festival dates

Officials are deliberating on whether Chaturthi, observed over two days, should be counted as one. If so, Vijayadashami would technically fall on Mahanavami (October 1). Alternatively, Navratri could start a day later, on September 23. Officials noted that such a situation has not been recorded in over 400 years. A final decision will be made in a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

Dasara may be 11 days but is still counted as 10 

Despite the 11-day span, Dasara will still be considered a 10-day festival, as Vijayadashami must fall on the 10th day after Navratri begins. Senior priest Janardhan Ayyangar explained that the final celebration schedule must be determined in accordance with the panchanga, taking into account religious texts and sunrise and sunset timings.

Historical precedence: 2005 and 2014 

Similar Navami-Dashami overlaps occurred in 2005 and 2014. Based on the Kali Purana and royal tradition, Navami in those years began on the morning of October 2 and extended beyond sunrise the next day, allowing Vijayadashami to begin immediately after.