The illumination
At seven each evening of the festival a lakh of bulbs come on across the Amba Vilas Palace at once, and the whole forecourt lifts its phones. It is the image of Mysuru the world knows.
A lakh of bulbs
About a hundred thousand incandescent bulbs trace every arch, dome and cornice of the Palace — a scheme first lit for the Maharaja’s Dasara a century ago and maintained since by the Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation. They are switched on together, at once, at seven.
- Inaugurated 11 October 2026, 6:30 PM, on Sayyaji Rao Road near K.R. Hospital Circle by the Minister for Energy
- 7 PM to 10 PM every evening of the festival; till midnight on Sundays and on Vijayadashami
- Also lit on public holidays through the year
The forecourt and the streets
Inside the Palace grounds, from the forecourt, is the classic view — arrive by 6:30. From outside, the Balarama Gate on Sayyaji Rao Road frames the whole facade, and the streets around the Palace are themselves lit through the festival.
- Palace forecourt, free entry from 6 PM
- Balarama Gate, Sayyaji Rao Road
- The lit streets: Ashoka Road, Albert Victor Road
The city
Chamundi Hill temple
The gopuram lit against the hill through the festival.
In & around
K R Circle & the Clock Tower
The Silver Jubilee clock tower and the circle at the heart of the route.
Venue guide
Brindavan Gardens
The KRS gardens and their fountains, 21 km out.
In & around
Bannimantap
CESC’s drone show over the Panjina Kavayathu ground, inaugurated on 17 October.
ProgrammeIllumination & drone show 2026
11 – 21 October 2026
Inauguration of the illumination
| Date | Time | Programme | By |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Oct 2026Sat | 6:30 PM | Inauguration of the Dasara electric illumination (Deepalankara) — the sample lighting on Sayyaji Rao Road near K.R. Hospital Circle | Sri K.J. George, Hon’ble Minister for Energy |
Drone show — Panjina Kavayathu Maidana (Torchlight Parade ground), Bannimantap
| Date | Time | Programme | Dignitaries |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Oct 2026Sat | 8:00 PM | Inauguration of the drone show and first display | Dr Yathindra Siddaramaiah, Minister for Urban Development & Mysuru district in-charge; Sri Ramesh Bandisiddegowda, Chairman CESC & MLA Srirangapatna |
| 18 Oct 2026Sun | 8:00 PM | Drone show | — |
| 20 Oct 2026Tue | 8:00 PM | Drone show | — |
| 21 Oct 2026Wed | 8:00 PM | Drone show | — |
Deepalankara sub-committee, Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation. The Palace itself is lit 7 – 10 PM every evening of the festival.
