Elephants, including Abhimanyu, during a rehearsal in front of the Mysuru palace.
Credit: DH File Photo
Mysuru: The Jamboo Savari of Mysuru Dasara, held to mark Vijayadashami, began with the Nandi Dhwaja puja by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah near the Balarama Gate of Mysuru palace on Thursday.
This is the eighth time Siddaramaiah has inaugurated the Dasara procession as Chief Minister. He arrived with his Cabinet colleagues and other people's representatives on the palace premises in a bus around 1:15 pm. He offered the Nandi Dhwaja puja at 1:22 pm, a few minutes beyond the scheduled muhurtha.
Elephant Dhananjaya led the Jamboo Savari as the Nishane (flagbearer) elephant. Gopi is the Naupat (insignia bearer) elephant. Elephant Abhimanyu will be the centre of attraction as he will carry the famed golden howdah (ambari) in which an idol of Goddess Chamundeshwari will be placed. The howdah elephant will join the procession by 5 pm after Siddaramaiah showers flowers on the idol of Chamundeshwari.
A total of 14 elephants are taking part in the procession that will culminate at Bannimantapa Grounds. The 5-km-long procession will pass through Raja Marga, via Albert Victor Road, Krishnaraja (KR) Circle and Sayyaji Rao Road.
The procession includes cultural troupes and 58 tableaux from across Karnataka, depicting various themes, some of which will highlight the work and achievements of Mahatma Gandhi, as Thursday is his birth anniversary, and also various government achievements, including the five guarantees.
Curtains for this year's Dasara celebration will be drawn with the torchlight parade at the Bannimantapa Grounds in the presence of Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot.
On the palace premises, arrangements have been made for 48,000 people, including dignitaries and those who have passes, gold cards and tickets, to view the procession. Over three lakh people are expected to watch the procession along the Raja Marga.
Dasara festivities were inaugurated atop Chamundi Hill on September 22 by International Booker Prize winner Banu Mushtaq who lit a lamp and offered flowers to Goddess Chamundeshwari.