Mysuru: Chief minister DK Shivakumar’s announcement that seating inside Mysuru Palace will be numbered and reserved for pass and ticket holders during the Dasara procession has raised a key question: “Will all 48,000 seats being arranged within the palace premises get seat numbers to prevent unauthorised entry?”The district administration is preparing to accommodate around 48,000 visitors, and officials say the focus is on tightening access and bringing order to an event that has long faced complaints of preferential entry. In previous years, genuine ticket and passholders have alleged that unauthorised entrants—often linked to influential people managed to get in, creating crowding, confusion and inconvenience for those with valid passes.With the CM stating that the procession will be conducted systematically and in an organised manner, the administration is pitching a multi-layered control plan. Entry restrictions will begin at the gates, with pass-based access, controlled enclosures and tighter verification intended to stop people without authorisation from entering seating areas. CCTV surveillance and public address systems are also being planned to improve monitoring and crowd guidance across the palace premises.However, DC Lakshmikanth G Reddy clarified that the numbering plan will not cover every one of the 48,000 seats. According to him, only chairs meant for gold pass and ticket holders will be numbered, and the seat number will be printed on the ticket itself. The majority of the remaining capacity is expected to be arranged in gallery-style seating, where individual seat numbering is not being planned.3K Gold pass sold like hotcakeDasara gold passes, which offer premium access, have also drawn attention this year. Around 3,000 gold passes, priced at Rs 6,500 each, were sold out quickly, reflecting on strong demand for assured, regulated viewing. DC Lakshmikanth Reddy told TOI that every gold pass has been numbered, and the buyer must occupy the same seat mentioned in the ticket before the scheduled time to avoid any inconvenience.
