MYSORE: Dasara celebrations have caught the imagination of the corporate sector and the youth as evident in their growing response to the festivities.

While leading public sector banks such as the Canara Bank, Syndicate Bank, and the Vijaya Bank have evinced interest in funding the programmes, the State Bank of Mysore alone has given Rs.15 lakh to the authorities. The TVS group is keen on sponsoring the Dasara music festival on the palace premises.

Deputy Commissioner S. Selvakumar, who is the Dasara Special Officer, expressed the hope of mobilising at least Rs. 75 lakh through sponsorship this year.

A few groups had decided to organise events under the Mysore Dasara 2006 logo. In addition to this, the State Government had released Rs. 75 lakh for the festivities. A sum of Rs.1.02 crore was brought forward from last year's allocation, he said.

Meanwhile, the Dasara Gold Card is in great demand. Of the 1,000 gold cards, 715 have been sold as on Tuesday. The authorities expect to sell the rest soon and raise Rs. 50 lakh.

Mr. Selvakumar said the corporate response had been warm though a few companies such as Mangalore Chemicals and Fertilizers, which gave a sizeable amount last year, had backed out this time as it had committed itself to similar cultural events in Bangalore.

"But there are other companies that have come forward and the response is encouraging," he added.

An important trend that is perceptible here is that the corporate sponsorship is forthcoming for major events in which there is large-scale participation by the youth and college students.

This indicates that Dasara has captured the imagination of the new generation which no longer equate it with mere religious ceremonies, but perceive it as a carnival and an opportunity to celebrate and live it up with music, dance and adventure sports.

The corporate sponsorship is forthcoming for such events.

The Yuva Dasara, which was launched three years ago, was responsible for infusing a dash of youth to the festivities, and has now become a permanent element in the celebrations. The concept not only rescued Mysore Dasara from being straitjacketed in a format that appealed only to the elderly and the conservative, but also brought a new dimension to the celebrations by widening the scope of the event by acknowledging youth culture and the need to celebrate it.

Hence, the corporate sector is eyeing this growing segment and is keen on sponsoring events that have more number of youth as in Yuva Dasara music and dance shows that include performance by Hariharan, Pratichee of VIVA, and Karunya of Indian Icon fame.

With Dasara Air Show and Adventure Sports, Dasara Half Marathon, a new fixture that is expected to be a permanent feature in future editions of the festivities, too has evoked good response from the youth, and nearly 2,000 athletes are expected to take part in it during this Dasara.

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