Come Dasara, my memory runs down to Mysore in the 50’s. We lived in old agrahars on Ramanuja Road also called Aane Karohatti Beedi. Down this road where now Shivaratreeshwara Institutes are situated was the elephant stable, Aane Karohatti.
This used to normally house about 8 to 10 elephants including calves, the Pattada Aane, the royal elephant, and Ambaari Aane, the elephant privileged to carry the Golden Howdah or Ambari in which Maharaja of Mysore took Jamboo Savari on the last day of the Dasara festival.
The Ambari Aane was known as Biligiri Ranga. This pachyderm was a magnificent animal – almost 12 plus feet tall with long and stout pair of tusk and forehead turned creamish golden colour.
The day before Navaratri, Mahalaya Amavasya, used to be half working day for schools. Once the bell rang, we used to rush out, and run to Aane Karohatti to watch the elephants painted all over their body. Biligiri Ranga was given special diet for carrying the Golden Howdah and the royals from palace to Bannimantapa parade ground and back. If I remember correctly, the mahout’s name was Pyare Jaan.
Every Friday Biligiri Ranga was taken to the palace for pooja by royal ladies. In the later days he used to walk majestically on his own; Pyare Jaan walking by the side. En route, the shop keepers would offer coconut, bananas, jaggery and rice and, of course, cigarette, coconut burfee etc to Pyare Jaan.
All of a sudden news broke that Biligiri Ranga was not keeping well and the best treatment was being given. He had stopped eating and was lying on his side on the hay stack. Tears used to roll down from his eyes. We children prayed to Kote Anjaneya and Kote Ganapathy (near palace north gate) for his speedy recovery.
One afternoon came the inevitable news: Biligiri Ranga was no more. We cried and rushed out of our school to the stable. Hundreds had already gathered there. In an exceptional gesture Sri Jayachamaraja Wodeyar, Maharaja of Mysore and members of the royal family visited the animal just before he breathed his last.
Eveningers of Mysore carried the news on headlines with photos of the deceased Jumbo. Pyare Jaan kept sobbing; and so did we all.
