JOIN USThe first batch of Dasara elephants reached Mysuru Palace on Thursday. The pachyderms were accorded a ceremonial welcome by a host of dignitaries, including district incharge and PWD Minister H C Mahadevappa and Deputy Commissioner D Randeep at the Jayamarthanda gate.
As the eight elephants, led by Arjuna, the howdah elephant, arrived, they were given a guard of honour. The other elephants are: Abhimanyu, Bheema, Gajendra, Vijaya, Varalakshmi, Kaveri and Balarama. The ceremony witnessed traditional rituals. The elephants were offered sugarcane, fruits and jaggery.
Mayor M J Ravikumar, Zoo Authority of Karnataka chairperson Mallige Veeresh, Zilla Panchayat president Nayeema Sultana, MLA M K Somashekar, Mysuru Urban Development Authority chairman D Dhruvakumar, Karnataka Exhibition Authority chairman B Siddaraju and Police Commissioner A S Rao welcomed the elephants.
The elephants, which arrived at the Aloka Palace in Yelwal on the outskirts of the city from different elephant camps on August 12, were brought to the Aranya Bhavan in Ashokapuram on Thursday morning. After being offererd puja there, the elephants reached the Palace. P B Karunakar, Chief Conservator of Forests, Mysuru Circle, and Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) V Yedukondalu participated in the puja.
Second batch after Aug 20
The DCF said the second batch of Dasara elephants, seven of them (Gopalaswamy, Vikrama, Gopi, Harsha, Krishna, Drona and Prashanth) will join the first batch after August 20. The elephants will stay at the Mysuru Palace for one and a half months, till the Dasara festivities conclude.
Howdah jumbo
While six elephants have been housed under a common shelter on the palace premises, Arjuna, the howdah elephant and Varalakshmi, have been housed separately.
Healthcare centre opened
The Department of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) opened a health centre on the palace premises for the benefit of mahouts, kavadis and their family members. One doctor and two assistants will serve the caretakers of the elephants from 9 am to 4.30 pm till October 2.
Attraction for foreigners
A host of tourists, including foreigners, who witnessed the ceremony of welcoming the elephants, were all excited. Natalia, a tourist from the United States, said, “It was a grand and traditional ceremony. It is a rare occasion. I did not expect to witness such a grand ceremony. I did not know about the event and it is a coincidence for me,” she said.
She, along with her son Alexandra, arrived in the city on Wednesday evening and are expected to return on Saturday.
DH News Service