Bengaluru, August 22, 2025: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced that renowned Kannada author and International Booker Prize 2025 winner Banu Mushtaq will inaugurate the prestigious Mysuru Dasara festival this year. Speaking to reporters at Vidhana Soudha, Siddaramaiah expressed pride in Mushtaq’s achievement, noting that her book Hridaya Deepa (Heart Lamp), translated by Deepa Bhasthi, earned her the coveted award, making her the first Kannada author to receive this honor.

“Banu Mushtaq, a woman from Karnataka, winning the Booker Prize is a matter of great joy. She comes from a background of struggle, having worked with farmers’ movements, Kannada agitations, and progressive causes. Therefore, we have invited her to inaugurate the Dasara Mahotsav,” Siddaramaiah said. The 11-day festival, set to take place from September 22 to October 2, 2025, will celebrate Karnataka’s rich cultural heritage, with Mushtaq’s participation highlighting the state’s literary pride. The Mysuru district administration will extend a formal invitation to her with full honors.

Banu Mushtaq, born in 1948 in Hassan, Karnataka, is a writer, activist, and lawyer whose short story collection Heart Lamp explores themes of women’s rights and social justice. Her historic win has been celebrated as a milestone for Kannada literature, with the Karnataka government lauding her contribution to global recognition of regional voices.