Mysuru (PTI): The famous 10-day long Dasara celebrations commenced in this palace city on Monday with religious and traditional fervour, with President of India Droupadi Murmu inaugurating the festivities.

Celebrated as ''Nada Habba'' (state festival), the festivities will be a grand affair this year depicting Karnataka's rich culture and traditions, coupled with reminiscence of royal pomp and glory, after muted celebrations for the last two years in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The President inaugurated the festivities during the auspicious "Vrushchika Lagna" by showering flowers on the idol of goddess Chamundeshwari, the presiding deity of Mysuru royals, amid chanting of vadic hymns, at the premises of Chamundeshwari temple atop the Chamundi Hills here.

Murmu is the first President to take part in Mysuru Dasara. She was accompanied by Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Union Ministers Pralhad Joshi and Shobha Karandlaje and several Ministers in the state cabinet among others at the inaugural.

The President also visited the Chamundeshwari temple and offered prayers to the goddess, who is referred to as the "Naada Devate" (state deity), ahead of the inaugural.

This is also her first visit to any state as the President of India.

The 10-day event, like every year, is set to showcase Karnataka's cultural heritage resplendent with folk art forms, and attracts large crowds and tourists, after it was scaled down for the last two years due to COVID-19.

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Agra, Dec 23: A truck driver dragged two people for about 300 metres in Agra under his vehicle, police on Monday said.

Some locals forced the driver to stop the truck and extricated the men from under the vehicle.

Police arrested the driver and seized the truck.

The two men, both residents of Nunhai in Agra, were going towards Rambagh from Waterworks when they met with an accident around 11 pm Sunday.

The driver, instead of stopping the truck sped up, trapping both of them underneath, police said.

"In the accident, two youths were dragged by a canter driver for about 300 metres. Later, some residents saved the youths by stopping the driver using force," Chhatta Police Station Inspector Pramod Kumar told PTI.

"The youths were sent for treatment at a nearby hospital and are still being treated, but are in stable condition. The youths were from Agra. The canter driver was arrested and the canter seized after the incident," he said.

A video of the incident that surfaced on social media showed the men shouting for help.

The video was purported to have been shot by a person passing by on a two-wheeler.