The Supreme Court will hear on September 19 a petition challenging the decision to invite Booker Prize-winning author Banu Mushtaq. She is to inaugurate this year’s Mysuru Dasara festival.
In response, the plea comes as an appeal against the Karnataka High Court’s earlier order. An order that allowed the invitation to stand.
The Mysuru district administration had formally invited the 77-year-old writer, who hails from Hassan, on September 3 to open the celebrations.
As per the schedule, Mushtaq is slated to flag off the festivities on September 22, while the famed Vijayadashami procession will be held on October 2.
What should have been a cultural honour has turned into a flashpoint.
Several Hindu groups, along with the BJP, have protested Mushtaq’s inclusion, highlighting her past statement about Goddess Bhuvaneshwari of Kannada lore.
A revived video clip capturing her objections to the goddess’s worship has circulated widely, drawing accusations of disrespect toward Hindu culture.
Mysuru Dasara, also called Nada Habba or ‘State Festival’, is Karnataka’s biggest cultural spectacle.
Celebrating Goddess Chamundeshwari’s defeat of Mahishasura, the festival conveys the eternal message of good overpowering evil. Around five million attendees arrive in Mysuru during the ten days to witness its processions, prayers and cultural events.
In the face of criticism, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah backed the move. He remarked that objections came from only some factions, not the wider Hindu community.
He underlined that the Dasara festival should remain an inclusive platform celebrating Karnataka’s cultural richness.
This controversy shows how art, belief and politics often intersect in society.
With the nation’s top court set to rule, the decision could determine Mushtaq’s role and guide how future festivals manage the balance between honouring artists and respecting faith.
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