People enthralled to see Dasara elephants taken in procession from Aranya Bhavan to Mysuru Palace

Mysuru: People of Mysuru were enthralled to see first batch of nine caparisoned Dasara elephants, which were taken in a mini procession amid drizzling, from Aranya Bhavan to Mysuru Palace, on Sunday evening.

The jumbos stayed at Aranya Bhavan premises after their arrival from forest camps after a grand Gajayapayana event at Veeranahosahalli near Nagarahole Tiger Reserve, in Hunsur taluk, Mysuru district last Monday.

Forest department officials, led by DCF I B Prabhugowda, offered puja to elephants at around 3.30 pm on Sunday. Once the rain subsided, elephants-Abhimanyu, Lakshmi, Kaveri, Bheema, Mahendra, Ekalavya, Prashantha, Dhananjaya, and Kanjan left Aranya Bhavan by 4.15 pm.

Amid the tunes of Mangala Vaadya, the elephants marched majestically via Ballal Circle, RTO Circle, Ramaswamy Circle, Samskrutha Patashala Circle and reached Jayamarthanda Gate of Mysuru Palace at around 5.15 pm.

People lined up in large numbers along with small children on both sides of roads on the route to have a glimpse of elephants and cheered them. They took photos and selfies with the gentle giants, which greeted by lifting their trunks. Officials of forest department, police escorted them in zero traffic.

After the jumbos were welcomed at Palace premises, Mysuru District in-charge Minister H C Mahadevappa distributed kits to the caretakers of the elephants, who will stay with elephants till the end of Dasara.

Each kit comprised a gas stove, gas pipe, regulator and lighter, saree and a blouse, shirt, lungi/panche, two towels, bucket, jug, two mats, two jamkaanas and two blankets.

Temporary sheds are arranged for the stay of Dasara Elephants and their Mahouts, Kaavaadis along with their families at Palace premises. Electricity, toilet facility and all other arrangements are done for take caretakers of elephants said, Mysuru Palace Board deputy director T S Subramanya.

The weight of the elephants will be checked on Monday. During their stay, the elephants will be fed with special nutritious food prepared in a jumbo kitchen, to improve their stamina for the Jamboo Savari procession.

They will be trained in a phased manner. The elephants will be familiarised with the Jamboo Savari procession route - Raja marga, by taking them on strolls in the morning and evening (as it would be night by the time they return from Bannimantap to Palace premises after the procession).

Besides Abhimanyu, three more male elephants will be trained to carry the wooden howdah, with the weight equivalent to 750 kg holden howdah, in order to have standbys and also to prepare second line elephants.

They will also be accustomed to sounds of 21 cannon fire shots, which would be fired during Dasara Jamboo Savari procession on Vijayadashami.

Some of these elephants will also participate in the Dasara rituals of the erstwhile royal family and also in Srirangapatna Dasara.