The Dark History of Mahanavami

An empire collapsed. A king buried his only son. A 40-year military occupation silenced it. A famine starved it. And the monarchy that created it lost all its power. This is the incredible 400-year history of Mysuru Dasara—a festival that was supposed to die five different times, but refused to fade away. From the mythical origins of a demon-slaying goddess on Chamundi Hill, to the golden zenith of the Vijayanagara Empire, and the brutal political gamble of King Raja Wadiyar in 1610, we explore how one of India's most spectacular traditions outlived the very kings who built it. Chapters: The Festival That Shouldn't Exist The Hill Before the City (The Myth) The Emperor's Nine Nights (Vijayanagara) The Gamble (A King's Grief) Forty Years of Silence & Famine The Festival Without a King (Modern Day) A Choice, Not an Order Written, Directed, and Visuals Produced at Red Realm Studios