No pomp at Mysuru Jamboo Savari, but gaiety pervades

Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa launched a simple yet royal Jamboo Savari, the grand finale of Dasara, on the Mysuru Palace premises on Monday.

Yediyurappa performed puja to the Nandi Dhwaja near the Balarama Gate of the Palace at 3 pm during the Makara lagna.

He performed ‘pushparchane’ (offering of flower petals) to the idol of Chamundeshwari Devi, placed in the golden howdah carried by elephant Abhimanyu at 3.55 pm, during Kumbha lagna, amid a 21-gun salute.

‘Grand fete next year’

Yediyurappa said he prayed to Goddess Chamundeshwari to save people from the Covid-19 pandemic and also for peace and unity.

“People of the state are in distress due to the pandemic and also due to floods. The government is taking all steps to help the people. If all problems are solved, we will celebrate Dasara in a grand manner next year,” he said.

The procession was limited to four folk art troupes, two companies of the Mounted Police and two tableaux, apart from the elephants.

Besides Abhimanyu, Nishane elephant Vikrama, Nowfath elephant Gopi and Kumkis elephants Vijaya and Kaveri also took part. Instead of the usual 5-km procession route from the Palace up to Bannimantapa, this year the procession was limited to 300 metres within the Palace precincts.

Covid-19 awareness

A tableau of the Health department created awareness on Covid-19, while the ‘maragaalu’ (balancing act on wooden leg extensions) artists depicted the slaying of coronavirus by Goddess Chamundeshwari.

The second tableau was a replica of the Aane Gaadi (elephant cart), carrying the Police Band playing music. Nadaswara, Veeragase, Kilugombe, Chande and Tamate troupes moved along in the procession.

Abhimanyu, a 54-year-old veteran of 21 Dasara processions, carried the howdah for the first time. A trouble-shooter, along with earlier howdah elephant Arjuna, of the Forest Department, Abhimanyu had participated in many rescue operations of straying animals.

Arjuna was retired as per the rules, even though he is fit. If not for the simple festivities, he would have been part of Dasara, either as the Nishane or Nowfath elephant.

Member of the erstwhile royal family Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, district in-charge Minister ST Somasekhar, Mayor Tasneem, Deputy Commissioner Rohini Sindhuri and Police Commissioner Chandragupta were present.

Jamboo Savari was limited to the Palace precincts in 1994 and 2002 too – due to plague in Gujarat and due to the kidnapping of MLA Nagappa, respectively.