Mysore Dasara is the
Nadahabba (state-festival) of the state of
Karnataka in South West India. It is also called
Navaratri (
Nava-ratri = nine-nights) and is a 10-day festival with the last day being
Vijayadashami, the most auspicious day of Dasara. Dasara usually falls in the month of September or October. According to a legend,
Vijayadashami denotes the victory of truth over evil and was the day when the Hindu Goddess
Chamundeshwari killed the demon
Mahishasura.
Mahishasura is the demon from whose name the name
Mysore has been derived. The city of
Mysore has a long tradition of celebrating the Dasara festival and the festivities there are an elaborate affair, attracting a large audience including foreigners. The Dasara festival completed 400th anniversary in year 2010.