Nadahabba Mysuru Dasara: Elephants receive royal welcome

Team Udayavani, Sep 5, 2023, 4:17 PM IST

Mysuru: The giant procession, led by Abhimanyu, arrived in the city from the forest to partake in the world-renowned Mysuru Dasara festival and was warmly received at Aranya Bhavan premises before being ushered into the palace with a traditional puja.

As the culturally rich city of Mysuru readies itself for the grand Nadahabba Mysuru Dasara celebrations, the palace council performed a time-honored ritual to welcome the elephants on Tuesday, Spetember 5 afternoon.

Under the guidance of Priest Prahlad Rao from Mysuru, a special pooja was conducted for the Gajapade (troupe of elephats) upon their arrival at the Jayamarthanda gate of the palace during the auspicious Abhijith Lagna period, which spanned from 12.01 pm to 12.51 pm. The ceremony saw Captain Abhimanyu, the new addition Kanjan, Kumki and other elephants like Varalakshmi and Vijaya, as well as other male elephants like Bhima, Gopi, Dhananjaya, and Mahendra, had their feet washed and be adorned with kumkum.

Following the puja, District In-charge Minister Dr. H.C. Mahadevappa, Mayor Sivakumar, MP Pratap Sinha, MLA T.S. Srivatsa, K, and other dignitaries showered the elephants with flowers.

Dazzling art troupes:

The grand entrance of the Gajapade into the palace was graced by various art troupes. After their ceremonial welcome at the gate, the elephants made their way to the palace accompanied by Purnakumbha Swagat, Mangalvadya, and Nadaswara. The procession included a splendid array of artistic troupes such as the Cavalry, Police Band, Dollu Kunita, Pata Kunita, and Garudi Gombe. Subsequently, the elephants positioned themselves in front of the palace to receive traditional worship from the palace council. Tambula was offered to the officials involved in Dasara celebration activities, and Minister HC Mahadevappa distributed kits containing daily essentials and other items to the Mawtars and Kavadis.

Arjuna’s absence:

Notably, former captain Arjuna was conspicuously absent from the elephant palace entry program. It was reported that a tiger attack in H.D. Kote taluk resulted in the unfortunate death of a boy, prompting the forest department to launch an operation to capture the tiger. Arjuna, the elephant, is said to be engaged in supporting this critical operation, hence his absence from the palace entry ceremony.

Distinguished guests and officials:

A multitude of distinguished guests and officials graced the occasion, including MLC CN Manjegowda, District Collector Dr. KV Rajendra, GP CEO Gayatri, City Commissioner Asad ur Rehman Shar, City Police Commissioner Ramesh B, SP Seema Latkar, Conservator of Forests Malatipriya, DCP Saurabh Kumar, Palace Board Deputy Director Subrahmanya, Congress City President R. Murthy, and many others.

A Fond Farewell

Before the grand palace entry, a special pooja was conducted for all eight elephants at Aranya Bhavan between 10 am and 10.30 am. The forest department officials bid a heartfelt farewell to the elephants by performing Mangalarati. The elephants then embarked on a journey by foot, passing through Ashokapuram Road, Ballal Circle, JLB Road, Ramaswamy Circle, Chamaraja Jodi Road, Gunhouse, and BN Road, ultimately reaching the Jayamarthanda gate of the palace.

Delightful spectacle for onlookers:

As the Gajapade made its way through the city, crowds of people lined the route to catch a glimpse of these magnificent creatures. People of all ages, from children to the elderly, were enthralled by the sight of the Gajapade. Stringent police security was in place to ensure the elephants’ safety and prevent any disturbances, and vehicular traffic was temporarily halted along the elephants’ path.