The majestic Arjuna has passed the Dasara test with ease for the fifth time in a row.
Carrying the 750-kg golden howdah amidst a noisy sea of humanity, Arjuna did not seem to put one foot wrong, thanks to the month-long training given by a dedicated team from the Forest Department.
With a new mahout to control him, Arjuna promptly obeyed the commands of Vinu, for whom it was the first time commanding the lead elephant at Jamboo Savari. Arjuna is not reckoned to be an “easygoing” tusker, unlike the others in the Dasara team.
From morning, Arjuna, who was flanked by kumkhi elephants Kaveri and Vijaya during the famed procession, was serene. The tall tusker, who succeeded the mighty Balarama as the carrier of the golden howdah, raised his trunk gracefully when Chief Minister Siddaramaiah showered flowers on the idol of Goddess Chamundeshwari at the start of the procession.
Arjuna, from Balle camp, is one of the longest-serving Dasara elephants. It had carried the golden howdah once before it was officially declared as the successor of Balarama, who had carried the howdah 12 times in a row.
Arjuna’s longest serving mahout, Doddamasthi, retired last year. The Forest Department wanted to bring him out of retirement for Dasara this year, but he passed away a few months ago. Subsequently, Vinu was chosen.
