Hundreds of drones are set to paint the night sky above Mysuru this Dasara season, adding a blazing new chapter to one of India's oldest and grandest royal festivals. The Chief Minister's Office of Karnataka took to X on Saturday, 17 October 2026, throwing open an invitation to residents and visitors alike — come witness an aerial light spectacle that promises to make this year's Dasara unforgettable.

The Kannada-language post captures the full sweep of the festival's mood: 'ಬಾನಂಗಳದಲ್ಲಿ ಬೆಳಕಿನ ವೈಭವ' ('a grand spectacle of light in the sky'), sitting alongside the tonga rides, traditional kushti wrestling bouts, and the energy of Yuva Dasara — the youth-centric cultural arm of the festival. The drone show, the post says, will 'create an unforgettable visual poetry by painting colours across Mysuru's sky.'

Tradition and Technology Over Mysuru's Skyline

Mysuru Dasara is a ten-day Navaratri celebration anchored around the Chamundeshwari temple on Chamundi Hill and the iconic Jumboo Savari — the ceremonial procession of caparisoned elephants carrying the golden howdah through the city streets. Dating back to the royal era of the Wadiyar dynasty, the festival draws lakhs of visitors each year and is officially designated a 'Rajyotsava' — a state festival — by the Government of Karnataka.

What this edition layers on top of that heritage is the drone show — aerial choreography using illuminated drones to form patterns and imagery across the open sky. The pairing is deliberate: tonga carriage rides (ಪರಂಪರೆಯ ಟಾಂಗಾ ಸವಾರಿ) and centuries-old wrestling moves (ನಾಡ ಕುಸ್ತಿಯ ಪಟ್ಟು) on the ground, and a pixel-perfect light canvas overhead. Heritage and high-tech, sharing the same festival air.

Karnataka's Push to Modernise Its Flagship Festival

Indian states have increasingly folded technology-driven spectacles into historic festivals to widen their appeal and extend tourism revenue. Karnataka has followed that arc with Dasara — progressive additions in illumination, stage performances, and now coordinated drone displays have expanded the event's pull beyond its traditional regional base to national and international visitors.

Mysuru itself — long known as the 'City of Palaces' — benefits enormously from the festival season, with the hospitality, transport, and retail sectors seeing sharp surges during the Dasara fortnight. The CMO's public call to 'bring your loved ones' signals the state's intent to maximise footfall in what remains one of Karnataka's highest-profile tourism windows of the year.

When the drones rise over Mysuru's skyline tonight, they will carry the weight of tradition and the ambition of a state determined to keep one of India's most storied festivals firmly in the modern imagination.