Tent School, set up for children of mahouts and kaavadis of Dasara elephants began at Amba Vilas Palace premises in the city on Tuesday.

The school has been started to ensure that the children of mahouts and kaavadis, who usually accompany their parents during Dasara, do not miss out on the classes of the academic year. A total of 19 children of different age groups attended classes on the first day of tent school.

The school will be held from 9.30 am to 1 pm everyday. Headmaster of Government Urdu Primary School at K R Mohalla in the city, Noor Fathima took lessons in Kannada, environment and mathematics during the course of the day.

Classes for children began in the morning with a prayer. Classes for the first half of the day were held outdoors, much to the delight of the children. The classroom was later shifted to a temporary tin shed set up for the accommodation of mahout and kavadi families.
Books and uniforms for the children were distributed by the Department of Public Instruction.

Appreciating the children who attended schools, Noor Fathima said that the children were very receptive towards lessons.

Another teacher will also be deputed at the school, soon after the second batch of elephants arrived. About 15-20 children of mahouts and kaavadis are expected to arrive in the next few days, Fathima said.

Srirama arrives early

Srirama, an elephant from K Gudi camp who was to reach the city on September 20 for Dasara, was brought to the city on Sunday.

The elephant was earlier slated to participate in a rescue operation following the death of a person in an elephant attack in Magadi in Bangalore district.  But, since the wild elephant which caused the death had retreated to the forest, the operation was called off, and Srirama had been retained in Mysore, said Dr Nagaraj, veterinary doctor of Bandipur Reserve Forests.