Dasara jumbos get rousing welcome at Mysuru palace

The first batch of Dasara elephants reached the Mysuru palace on Wednesday.

Members of the Mysuru Palace Board received them. The pachyderms were accorded a ceremonial welcome by a host of dignitaries, including district incharge minister S T Somashekar at Jayamarthanda Gate.

The nine elephants, led by howdah elephant Abhimanyu, were given a guard of honour.

Arjuna, Bheema, Gajendra, Gopalaswami, Kaveri, Mahindra, Chaitra and Vijaya are part of the team.

The ceremony witnessed traditional rituals and the elephants were offered sugarcane, fruits and jaggery.

The elephants will camp on the palace premises till Dasara, scheduled to be held from September 26 to October 5.

The elephants, which had reached Aranya Bhavan of the forest department in the city on Sunday, marched to the palace after the department officials offered puja to them at Aranya Bhavan.

The caparisoned elephants were the cynosure of all eyes as they walked through Ashoka Circle, RTO Circle, Ramaswamy Circle, Chamaraja Double Road, Gun House Circle and reached Jayamarthanda Gate.

Priest S V Prahlada Rao offered puja to the elephants, while a host of dignitaries, including district incharge Minister S T Somashekar, offered floral tributes to them at the Gate.

Folk troupes performed on the occasion. The elephants were later shifted to temporary sheds.

Deputy conservator of forests (DCF) Karikalan said all nine elephants were fit and fine.

"The elephants will undergo a weight test in a day or two. They will be put on a nutritious diet and practice sessions will commence soon. The second batch of elephants will arrive in a few days," he said.

A total of 14 elephants will participate in the Dasara celebrations this year. A grand festival is planned after a gap of two years due to the Covid crisis.

MP Pratap Simha, MLAs S A Ramadass, L Nagendra, deputy commissioner Bagadi Gautham, city police commissioner Chandragupta, superintendent of police R Chetan, city corporation commissioner G Lakshmikant Reddy, conservator of forests Malati Priya and DCF Kamala Karikalan were present.