Grand Gajapayana celebrations marks beginning of Dasara preparations

Eshwar B Khandre launched the journey of the first batch of nine Dasara Elephants of various forest camps towards Heritage city Mysuru for training for this year's Dasara Jamboo Savari procession with a formal pooja.

Veeranahosahalli-Hunsur-Mysuru: The preparations for Mysuru Dasara Jamboo Savari procession took off with grand 'Gajapayana' celebrations amid about ten thousand people at Veeranahosahalli of Hunsur taluk of Mysuru district on Monday.

Amid the tunes of Mangalavaadya and percussion instruments Minister for Environment, Ecology and Forests Eshwar B Khandre launched the journey of the first batch of nine Dasara Elephants of various forest camps towards Heritage city of Mysuru for training for this year's Dasara Jamboo Savari procession with a formal pooja.

He offered pooja during auspicious Abhijin lagna at 12.42pm.

All nine caparisoned Dasara Elephants led by Abhimanyu who has carried golden howdah for five times flanked with Lakshmi and Kaveri lined up for pooja along with Bheema, Mahendra, Ekalavya, Prashantha, Dhananjaya, Kanjan near Veeranahosahalli gate of Nagarahole Tiger Reserve.

In the absence of Mysuru district in-charge minister and head of Dasara Executive committee, H C Mahadevappa, minister K Venkatesh attended the pooja.

Mysuru DC and Dasara special officer, G Lakshmikanth Reddy, DCF Wildlife, Mysuru division I B Prabhugowda who will be in-charge of Dasara elephants during their stay in Mysuru who made elaborate arrangements joined the pooja.

They offered floral tribute and fed them with jaggery, sugarcane, fruits including Bananas and eatables like Chakkuli, Kodbale, Kajjaaya, Rave unde, Karji kaayi to the Pachyderms. Palace Ganesha temple priest S V Prahlad Rao performed puja.

The pachyderms lifted their trunks and greeted.

45 Women dressed up in traditional attires also welcomed them with 'Poorna Kumbha'.

Amid huge cheering crowd Elephants marched for about 2km decorated road till the lorries near venue of stage event in a mini procession featuring performances by cultural troupes including Kamsaale, Veeragaase, Dollu Kunitha, Pooja kunitha, chandevaadana which added all colour and vigour to celebration.

Later at the stage event at Veearanahosahalli under Dodda Hejjuru gram panchayat, Khandre said that they have continued the tradition followed by Maharajas of royal era to offer puja and take elephants from forest to Mysuru for Dasara l- the celebration of victory of good over the evil.

Khandre also recalled incident of poisoning of five tigers by villagers in M M Hill, leopards killed due to snares, elephants dying due to electrification of fences, he called on for conservation of animals including elephants which are being celebrated now and forest wealth and healthy co-existance between people at forest fringes and animals for ecological balance.

He cleared that gracing is prevented only for those from other States in forest region.

Minister Venkatesh said that since there is good rain and farmers are happy, the State Government is celebrating Dasara grandly.

Hunsur MLA G D Harish Gowda urged for joint survey of revenue and forest land and barricading and construction of mesh on forest fringes to save crops and prevent man animal conflict build, new houses for tribals in rehabilitation centres/areas, increase compensation for relocated tribals.

Minister Khandre honoured Mahouts and Kaavaadis, the caretakers of Dasara jumbos and invited them formally with thamboola for the successful Dasara. Performances by Children of tribal hamlets studying in Girijana Ashrama school enthralled people.

Doddahejjuru Gram Panchayat president Ambika Lokesh, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest Meenakshi Negi, Southern Range IG M B Boralingaiah, SP N Vishnuvardhana ZP CEO S Ukesh Kumar participated.

The Elephants were brought in lorries to Mysuru by Monday evening.

They are being housed at Aranya Bhavan premises.On Thursday, they will be traditionally welcomed by Mysuru district administration in another event at Jayamarthanda gate of Mysuru Palace.

Later the Elephants and their caretakers will be housed at Palace premises till the end of Dasara.

This year's Mysuru Dasara will be inaugurated atop the Chamundi Hill on September 22. Jamboo Savari will be held on Vijayadashami, on October 2.

The newly installed 'Arjuna Award', in the memory of Dasara veteran elephant Arjuna, who died during an operation, was presented to mahout of elephant Bheema, Gunda and Kavaadi of the same elephant Nanjunda.

The award was presented recognising the services of these staff who have succeeded in training the wild jumbos and participating along with elephants in the rescue operation of wild animals like tiger during man-animal conflict.

Arjuna died on December 4, 2023 fighting a wild jumbo during an operation to fix radio collars on troublesome wild elephants, at Alur, Belur, Sakleshpur and Yesalur. H D Kote MLA Anil Chikkamadu had suggested the minister to install this award.