Mysuru: With the arrival of the second batch of elephants at the Mysuru palace on Thursday, the training of the animals for the Jumbo Savari that will draw the curtains on the famed Dasara festivities, began on a brisk note on Friday.
Four elephants are being trained to carry the 750kg golden howdah. A sand bag weighing 400 kgs was placed in a cradle on elephant Arjuna, who is the favourite to carry it, on Friday. While he will rest for the next three days, elephants Balarama, Abhimanyu and Gajendra will receive similar training on alternate days. The weight of the sandbag will be increased gradually to 500kgs, 600kgs and 750kgs and from September 15 onwards, a wooden howdah weighing 750kgs will be placed on the elephants.
The final decision on the howdah elephant will be taken a day before the procession, according to Dr Nagaraj, the forest department's veterinarian, who is in charge of the jumbos.
All 15 elephants led by Arjuna took a stroll from Mysuru Palace to Bannimantap and comfortably covered 5kms both in the morning and evening on Friday, going by Dr Nagaraj.
Meanwhile, Mysuru will have air connectivity again from September 15 under the regional connectivity programme of the Union government's UDAN scheme. True Jet Airways will operate 78 seater flights every day from Mysuru to Chennai.
