Dasara Elephants Weighed at Historic Mysuru Bridge

Mysuru: On Friday morning, the second batch of five Dasara elephants was weighed at the 59-year-old lorry weighing bridge on Dhanvanthri Road in Mysuru. The elephants, who recently joined the Dasara Jamboo Savari procession, were weighed as follows:

Sugreeva: 5,190 kg (decreased by 120 kg from last year’s 5,310 kg)
Mahendra: 4,910 kg (increased by 75 kg from last year’s 4,835 kg)
Prashantha : 4,875 kg (decreased by 340 kg from last year’s 5,215 kg)
Doddaharave Lakshmi : 3,485 kg (decreased by 120 kg from last year’s 3,365 kg)
Hiranya : 2,930 kg (increased by 95 kg from last year’s 3,025 kg)

The elephants began their journey from the North Gate of Mysuru Palace at around 7:30 am, passing through K R Circle, Sayyaji Rao Road, and reaching the weighing bridge. A magnetic metal detector on the escort vehicle ensured the elephants’ safety by screening for any metals that might harm their feet. The procession was escorted by police and traffic police to manage the traffic smoothly.

These elephants, which arrived at Mysuru Palace premises on Thursday evening, joined nine other elephants who had arrived as part of the first batch on August 21. The elephants will receive special nutritious food to prepare them for the Dasara Jamboo Savari procession.

The sight of all 12 elephants parading through Mysuru has captivated locals and visitors alike. Many have gathered along the streets to capture photos and videos, while flower vendors and the general public have been offering flowers to the gentle giants. Notably, Kanjan and Varalakshmi did not participate in the morning’s training session.

Forest officials including DCF (wildlife) I B Prabhu Gowda, RFO Santhosh Hoogar, and Veterinarian Mujeeb Ur Rehman, along with other forest department personnel, accompanied the elephants.