Gajapayana: Kickstarting Mysuru Dasara with traditional splendor

Team Udayavani, Aug 31, 2023, 10:39 AM IST

Hunsur: The Gajapayana event, which marks the beginning of the Mysuru Dasara festival, will start on Friday, September 1, from the main entrance of Nagarhole Park called Veeranahosahalli. The forest department has started getting things ready for the event.

Saurabkumar, the Forest Officer in charge of the Mysuru area, spoke to Udayavani about how well-prepared they are for Gajapayana.

This time, the Gajapayana will be really special. They’ve set up seats for about two thousand people, including important guests, near the Jungle Inn Resort. They’ve also put up a large tent made of special rain-resistant material from Germany. They’ve cleared the plants and bushes along the road. They’ve arranged food for around three thousand people, including guests, at Nagapur Ashram School. They’ve also done a lot of advertising to invite people from nearby villages to join in the celebrations.

The Gajapayana ritual will start at 10 am on Friday, September 1. In keeping with tradition, the priest Prahalladarao and his team will do a special prayer at the Anjaneya temple near the Veeranahosahalli gate from 9:45 am to 10:15 am. Then, they’ll do a prayer at the Gajapade (a ceremonial seat). After this, everyone will pay their respects and the procession will start. It’s interesting that the first group of the procession will have nine elephants, and the leader will be the famous elephant named Abhimanyu.

During the event, there will be performances by various groups, like Kansale, Dollu Kunita, Veeragase Kunita, Puja Kunita, Patakunita, Goravara Kunita, Gurupura Tibetan School Children’s Dance, and Adivasi Children’s Dance. They’ll perform in front of the Gajapade.

Once the Gajapayana begins, there will be a special meeting led by MLA G.D. Harish Gowda. The Minister-in-charge, Dr. HC Mahadevappa, and the Forest Minister, Ishwar Khandre, will reveal the list of elephants for the Dusara festival and a booklet.

Important ministers like the Minister-in-charge, the Forest Minister, the Animal Husbandry Department Minister K.Venkatesh, the Backward Classes Welfare Department Minister Shivrajthangadagi, MP Pratapa Simha, Mayor Shivakumar, Doddahejjur Gram Panchayat Chairperson Ambikalokesh, local lawmakers, and senior forest officials will all take part in the event. They’re encouraging people from the area to join in and celebrate this special festival.

The first group of elephants will include Abhimanyu, Bhima, and Mahendra from Mattigodu Elephant Camp in Nagarahole Tiger Reserve. Also, Arjuna from Balle Elephant Camp, Varalakshmi from Bhimanakatte Elephant Camp, and Dhananjaya, Gopi, and Hennane Vijaya from Dubare Camp in Madikeri Division of Kodagu. Additionally, there will be Parthasarathy Elephants from Ramapura Elephant Camp in Bandipur Tiger Reserve. Details about the five elephants in the second group will be shared after September 10.