Daijiworld Media Network - Mysuru (SP)

Mysuru, Oct 11: The annual Navaratri festival, which marks a ten-day period of devotion, celebration, and show of art and culture, began to unfold in this cultural capital, which also was the capital city of Mysuru Maharajas in the past, with its inaugural. Chairperson of Infosys Foundation, writer and philanthropist, Sudha Murty, inaugurated the festival by offering flowers to the idol of Goddess Chamundeshwari at Chamundi Hill on Wednesday October 10 morning.

Karnataka chief minister, H D Kumaraswamy and his cabinet colleagues, G T Deve Gowda, Sa Ra Mahesh and Rajashekhar Basavaraj Patil, JD(S) state president and a local strongman, H Vishwanath, and Mysuru MP, Pratap Simha, were present at the inaugural. Sudha Murty's husband, N R Narayana Murthy and other family members were also present.

Speaking on the occasion, Sudha Murty announced that her foundation would provide houses to the people devastated by floods in Kodagu at a cost of Rs 25 crore. She requested the government to provide roads and clean drinking water to these houses alongside other amenities. She also said that the foundation, which has already dredged and developed Hebbal lake in the city by spending Rs 38 crore, would spend another Rs 15 crore to provide path around this lake for walkers.

Expressing pride for being a Kannadiga, she hailed the contributions made by the Wadiyar dynasty of kings towards Navaratri celebrations after Vijayanagara empire ended. She said Kannada has remained a leading language now because of the Wadiyars.

In his address, Kumaraswamy said that the government decided that the festival would be inaugurated by Sudha Murty because she has the heart of a mother, contributions by Infosys to the state are commendable and considering the fact that this group has been serving Karnataka in various ways.

MP Pratap Simha too hailed Infosys Foundation for its philanthropic and patriotic activities like donating ten lac rupees to families of soldiers who lose lives during duty.