Dasara elephants set out for Mysore

The march of a dozen elephants to Mysore from the neighbouring forests will set the ball rolling for the Dasara festivities, that date back centuries, commencing this year on September 19.

Fifty-one-year-old 2.7 metre tall Balarama will repeat his performance as the ‘Ambari’ elephant. The 3,820 kg tusker will carry the golden howdah, the idol of Mysore’s most revered diety Chamundeswari placed inside, for the 11th time and participate in the Vijaya Dasami procession for the 15th year. He will lead the first batch of six elephants to arrive in Mysore for the celebrations.

The second batch to follow will comprise an equal number of jumbos.

 

Painted and decorated, elephants have become the cynosure of eyes of the huge crowds that assemble to witness the Vijaya Dasami procession on the 10th and concluding day of the celebrations, now Government-sponsored. They are painted with floral designs on their trunk, legs and ears in a colourful manner.

Besides being well taken care to make them fit for the march, they are given a royal touch with ornamental cloth covering their body. Of them, the ‘Ambari’ elephant will really be the royal elephant with all the trappings, including the golden face cover and the golden howdah on its back.

The ‘elephant march’ from Veeranahosalli in Hunsur taluk, adjoining the Hunsur and Kodagu forests, to Mysore has assumed importance of recent years. Forest and revenue authorities led by Mysore’s deputy commissioner P Manivannan are making elaborate arrangements to make the departure of the Dasara elephants to Mysore a colourful event.

Among the programmes planned for the inauguration of the ‘elephant march’ by district incharge minister Shoba Karandlaje on August 13 are cultural programmes by forest tribals who man the elephants, and the Tibetan settlers of Bylakuppe, in the neighbouring Periyapatna taluk.

The deputy commissioner has directed the erection of welcome arches on the way, flag posts up to a kilometer, ‘Rangoli’ decorations and release of colourful balloons at Veeranahosalli village and enroute the elephant march.

The Dasara elephants will be officially greeted in front of the Palace main entrance on the Independence Day. They will be stationed in the temporary camps in the Palace premises and trained for taking part in the Vijaya Dasami procession on September 28.