Nine Jumbos Arrive In Mysuru For Dasara Festivities
Tamed elephants participating in Mysuru Dasara festivities-2026 left for Mysuru city at a ceremony, ‘Gaja Payana’ (Elephant march) held at Veeranahosahalli, the entrance of Nagarahole National Park in Hunsur.
Mysuru:Tamed elephants participating in Mysuru Dasara festivities-2026 left for Mysuru city at a ceremony, ‘Gaja Payana’ (Elephant march) held at Veeranahosahalli, the entrance of Nagarahole National Park in Hunsur taluk of Mysuru district and the first batch of elephants comprising 9 elephants ferried from various elephant camps gathered at venue.
The first batch of elephants includes Mahendra, Srikanta, Lakshmi, Ekalavya, Dhananjaya, Gopi, Kaveri, Prashanth and Srirama. 5 other elephants will join them for the festivities in the coming days. The elephants are selected by a team of forest officials and veterinarians based on the temperament of the jumbos, their health conditions, behaviour during previous Dasara participation, among other factors.
The ‘Gaja Payana’ ceremony was conducted by District In-charge and Minister of Urban Development Dr Yathindra Siddaramaiah in the presence of several dignitaries. The caparisoned elephants were flagged off, and the elephants will stay in Mysuru city for about two months before returning to their respective camps. Dasara festivities will be inaugurated on October 11.
Initially, elephants will stay for a couple of days at the Aranya Bhavan in Mysuru city before they are moved to the Mysore Palace premises, where arrangements have been made for the elephants and their caretakers to stay. The elephants will be served nutritious food, foot and head massages, health monitoring, rehearsals of jumbo savari among other will be done to keep the jumbos fit for the ‘jumbo savari’ (royal elephant procession) carrying golden howdah weighing 750 kgs from Mysore Palace premises to Bannimantap, covering about 5-km on Vijayadashmi day falling on October 21 this year.
Dr Yathindra Siddaramaiah stated, “Officials have to keep in mind the elephant to carry golden howdah. A final decision on the elephant carrying golden howdah will be taken during the course of rehearsal of jumbo savari.”
Srikanta, estimated to be 57 years, weighs about 5,800 kgs and is the heaviest of the participating jumbos. He measures 2.86 meters in height. His nearest match is Sugreeva, estimated to be 44 years, weighs 5,800 kgs and he measures 2.95 meters in height. Ekalavya, estimated 41 years old, weighs 5,800 kgs and measures 2.88 meters in height.
