MYSURU: Without a ballyhoo, six elephants commenced their trudge towards this city of palaces to form the best part of the famed Dasara procession on the last day of ten-day festivities next month.
“Gajapayana”, the first step towards preparations for Dasara festivities, commenced on Friday but the elephants were not caparisoned nor accorded a ceremonial welcome by officers of the forest department, CCFs Kamala, Mr Gaonkar, DCF Karikalan and others because of the state government’s decision to keep the festivities simple. The budget, however, has not been slashed with about Rs 4.5 crores likely to be spent on festivities and Rs 30 crores for civil works in the city, according to official sources.
While the state government has given its approval for 12 out of 15 elephants proposed, six pachyderms arrived at Aranya Bhavan in Mysuru as part of the first batch. While 55 year- old Arjuna, which participated in Dasara for past ten years and carried the Golden Howdah four times including the previous year and will be carrying it this year too came from Balle camp near Nagarahole along with mahout Maasthi and Kavaadi Sannappa, 57 year-old Balarama who has been participating in Dasara for past 19 years and carried golden Howdah 13 times arrived from Thithimathi camp of Nagarhole arrived along with mahout Thimma and Kavadi Chandra.
These elephants would be offered pooja again by officers of the forest department before handing them over to the district administration at 11am on Saturday. On Monday, between 9.30 am and 10.30 am, they would embark on a procession to Mysuru palace premises, where they would be formally welcomed to the court yard of palace after traditional pooja by officers of the district administration and Mysuru Palace Board.
The Board has already built over 12 sheds near Kodi Someswara temple in the palace court yard for these elephants, mahouts, kavadis and their families, and a for tent school for children of mahouts, an Ayush Center, and a library.
