"Aane gaadi" (elephant cart), to be pulled by Abhimanyu, the elephant, will be an added attraction in this year’s Dasara procession. Last week, the gaadi had to be repaired as one of its wheels was damaged during a trial ride. The artisans who fixed it fast are from Ganjam, a remote village near Srirangapattana.

The artisan families of Ganjam are traditional cart makers for generations. They basically make and repair bullock carts and these artisans are known to get round-the-year orders from farmers. The Ganjam cart is in good demand for its durability and craftsmanship.

"For the past many years, we have been getting work orders for bullock carts from the distant villages of Kolar and Hassan districts too. Often, we don't accept work orders because of the scarcity of jungle wood. We rarely get the required quantity of wood to meet the increasing demand for carts. For quality work we need quality wood, but we are happy that we at least get jungle wood," says Cheluvaiah, for whom cart making is the chief source of livelihood.

Since a majority of farmers from remote villages still use bullock carts for their agricultural work, the artisans of Ganjam are always busy. However, the cart makers of Ganjam and elsewhere have to struggle in spite of their traditional skills and hard work due to the competition posed by cart making factory units, increasing cost of wood and other raw materials, and the acute scarcity of jungle wood.

As small farmers from nearby villages are mainly dependant on traditional cart makers for the servicing and repair of their bullock carts, artisans from Ganjam are always in demand.

The mighty & the tiny

With his name, he could very well be the brand ambassador for tourism in the State. Six-year-old 'Pravas', studying in class II at Sunkadakatte in Hunsur taluk has left everyone spellbound by gaining control of an almost 60-year-old Dasara elephant Sarala.

Pravas is already an undeclared 'mahout' at such a tender age, when most children spend time either watching television or reading school books. Pravas' father Kavadi Rama is a mahout by profession and is in-charge of Sarala. The extremely shy Pravas loves to keep company of the elephant. Both the animal and the boy seem to be enjoying every bit of it. After waking up early every morning, Pravas heads straight towards Sarala, takes her for her bath, feeds her fodder and pulses and then accompanies her for the rehearsal of 'city rounds' in the Dasara procession route along with other elephants, of course, under the close supervision of his father and other mahouts. Together, they are an inseparable pair. Sarala, among the seniors in Dasara elephants, has not once disobeyed her 'little master'. The mighty and the tiny, they make an interesting sight together.

Don't miss the tonga ride...

Thanks to modernisation, tongas have become a thing of the past in many cities. Automobiles have managed to push tongas aside and establish their monopoly on the roads. But, even today, some of us would love to go for a short ride in the horse-driven tonga and experience fresh air, feel every bump on the road and share an extremely interesting conversation with the ever-friendly tongawallah.

Tongas, which once dominated the roads of the heritage city, were widely used by people from well-to-do families and even the upper middle class, as they were the only means of transportation.

Encashing on the 'tonga' fetish of travelers who throng Mysore year after year, the Tourism Department has been offering them a ride in the vintage tongas. 'Shahpasand Tongas', as they are referred to, have been an instant hit with tourists and locals alike. In fact, according to officials, many prefer tongas to travel to different tourist places in the city and don't mind the long wait to get one. 

This year, 28 tongas have been identified by the Department and they are being refurbished in such a manner that the riders experience the ancient grandeur of the city. Each tongawallah would be given a map of Mysore with the list of heritage buildings, related structures and the heritage walk route, facilitating easy transportation of tourists to their destinations. Tourists can pay a predetermined amount, while the Tourism Department will support them with Rs 100 per day. Tongawallah's expenses of feeding the horse and himself come close to Rs 150 everyday.

To make the experience complete to the last detail, each tongawallah would be given a brand new attire, mostly with golden hues and complete with head gear, transporting them back to the time of Maharajas in the heritage city.

The tongawallahs are free to pick up customers and drive them to any other destinations of their choice, which may not be listed in the map provided by the Department.