Abhimanyu to carry howdah this Dasara

Abhimanyu, the strongest elephant in Mattigodu elephant camp will carry the 750-kg Golden Howdah in Mysuru Dasara procession this year. Vikram, Harsha, Vijaya, Cauvery and Gopi from Dubare elephant camp in Kushalnagar are selected to accompany Abhimanyu in the procession.

Assistant Conservator of Forests, Mysuru, Alexander, who is in charge of Dasara elephants, said that Arjuna, who used to carry the howdah had tuned 60 and hence was being replaced by 54-year-old Abhimanya. As per the tradition, the elephants will travel to Veeranahosalli in Hunsur on October 2 and later to Mysuru.

Abhimanyu is the second elephant from the Mattigodu camp to carry golden Howdah. Balarama from the same camp carried the howdah for several years in the past.