Dasara elephants receive grand welcome at the palace

 The district administration and the Dasara Committee on Friday, welcomed the first batch of six Dasara elephants at Jayamarthanda Gate of the Mysuru Palace, in the city.

The elephants, which will take part in Jamboo Savaari, between the Mysuru Palace and Bannimantap on Vijayadashami (October 11) will camp on the palace premises for 45 days. Jamboo Savaari is one of the major attractions of Mysuru Dasara.

A team of jumbos, led by howdah elephant Arjuna, reached the Palace from Aranya Bhavan in the city at 4.30 pm. Other elephants in the first batch are: Gajendra, Balarama, Abhimanyu, Kaveri and Vijaya.

The jumbos, which arrived at the Tree Park on the premises of Aloka Palace at Yelwala near on August 21, reached the Aranya Bhavan on Friday morning and they were taken to the palace on foot. The elephants passed through Ambedkar Road, Ballal Circle, RTO Circle, Ramaswamy Circle, Double Road, Patashala Circle and reached Jayamarthanda Gate of the Palace. The second batch of another six elephants — Vikrama, Gopi, Harsha, Prashanth, Durgaparameshwari and Gopalaswamy — will arrive at the palace in a few days.

A host of dignitaries like Cooperation Minister H S Mahadev Prasad, MP Pratap Simha, Mayor B L Bhyrappa, Deputy Mayor Vanita Prasanna, Zilla Panchayat President Nayeema Sultana, MLAs Vasu, and M K Somashekar, Deputy Commissioner D Randeep, Police Commissioner B Dayananda, and Deputy Conservator of Forests V Karikalan received the elephants at the palace.

Priests offered puja while the police team offered guard of honour on the arrival of elephants. Hundreds of people, including foreigners and tourists gathered near the palace to witness the entry of the Dasara elephants. Various art troupes performed folk dance and music to welcome the jumbos.

Speaking to media persons, minister Mahadev Prasad said, all the arrangements for the elephants and their caretakers have been completed on the palace premises. Dasara elephants and 40 people — family members of mahouts and kaavadis — will stay on the palace premises, the minister said. The authorities have erected 20 sheds for the mahouts and their families. The district administration has submitted a proposal for Rs 14.25 crore for Dasara celebrations and the government’s nod is awaited, he said.

A separate shed, measuring 40X80 sq ft, has been erected in front of Kodi Kalabhyraveshwara temple for Arjuna and a female elephant will be housed along with him.

Deputy Commissioner D Randeep said that Dasara sub-committees have been constituted and they have prepared action plans. The action plans will be approved in an executive committee meeting convened next week.