Jamboo Savari: Forest dept beats all odds to make it success

The Forest department which was entrusted with the responsibility of Jamboo Savari has passed the tough test with flying colours, amidst several challenges, during Dasara 2022.

More than 150 Forest department personnel, led by Deputy Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) V Karikalan, ensured that the Jamboo Savari, which attracts lakhs of people, was a success.

The credit goes to the team of mahouts and kavadis, who manned the elephants during the Jamboo Savari. They disciplined them at times as they started losing patience due to the slow movement of cultural troupes and also kept feeding them hay and jaggery balls during the 4.8-km journey.

The Forest department had to face several challenges this year, during the jumbos’ stay in the city.

For the first time, Jamboo Savari was taken out on the illuminated roads. The jumbos were made to walk from Mysuru Palace to Bannimantapa, carrying the wooden howdah, on the procession route after the illumination for rehearsals. This was a real challenge, as hundreds of people used to gather to watch the jumbos in the evening hours. The elephants were acclimatised with the crowd’s behaviour.

Besides, it was also the first time for Dasara jumbo Abhimanyu, which carried golden howdah on the procession route till Bannimantapa. Last two years, the Jamboo Savari was limited within the palace premises due to Covid pandemic.

The real challenge was when female elephant Lakshmi went into labour, taking the mahouts, kavadis and the Forest department by surprise.

Lakshmi’s pregnancy was undetected, despite the care, nutrition and medical attention.

Wildlife activists slammed the foresters and mahouts for their negligence, in bringing Lakshmi almost at the end of her gestation period and also subjecting her to rehearsals from August 7, when she accompanied a batch of nine jumbos. However, the male calf, named Sri Dattatreya, became the ‘little star’ within a few days.

Most of the elephants were disturbed during the first cannon firing drill, near the Palace. However, the place was changed for the second and third rehearsals to the parking lot opposite the Dasara exhibition grounds. The jumbos adjusted perfectly, thanks to the mahouts and the
kavadis.

DCF Karikalan said the entire team was happy for completing the Jamboo Savari successfully, with the grace of Goddess Chamundeshwari, this year.

“Taking a cue from the evening muhurta of Jamboo Savari, we trained the jumbos to walk on illuminated roads. The jumbos behaved well and earned the love and affection of the people,” he said.