Mysore:The district administration that has been treating outstation mahouts royally to partake in Dasara Utsav, while its not bothered of the mahouts and their families who are caring the palace jumbos for the whole year.
The mahouts and their families who arrive from tuskers camp are provided with all facilities at the palace, while the palace mahouts are living in dilapidated building that signifies their state of affairs.
In spite of the palace mahouts are serving the tourists for the full year, none of the authorities are bothered of them. These mahouts are found when one goes inside the temple by Brahmapuri gate, at the zoo and jumbos shelter housed in a building owned by royals Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wodeyar.They care for jumbos and other wild animals in the private zoo.
A building has been built to house regency stud that has palace jumbos, horses, camels and indigenous cows, which is located nearby Brahmapuri gate of palace. There are tuskers that are fondly cared by the erstwhile royals and now maintained by the present ruler. These mahouts do not come under the roll of government, because they are considered as domestic staff of royals.
Palace jumbos and mahouts are round-the-year service
The palace has six female jumbos by the name Chanchala, Raji, Preeti, Ruby, Sita and Gemini. Each jumbo had to be fed with maize, wheat flour, paddy rolled in bay, twice a day. The mahouts take the tourists for rides daily.Besides, these jumbos were booked for private celebrations and auspicious occasion.These are the sources of income. Apart from this, the horses, camels also contribute income along with jumbos.The four horses and five camels partake in Navaratra celebrations.They do not partake during grand procession of Dasara Utsav.
There are thirty workmen employed in Regency Stud for the whole year.They are provided with accommodation in the stud and are also paid monthly salaries.The building where these workmen are living is in deplorable condition and unfit to live.The century old building has no doors and the workmen live with uncertainty.
The outstation mahouts who arrive for Dasara Utsav get royal treatment for two months. They are privileged to have food with ministers, tent-school for their children, supply of daily grocery and separate shed to stay, besides periodic health check up and honorarium paid to them. In a latest development,these mahouts were included under government employees D category and regularized their employments.These mahouts get better pay and special incentives.
Meanwhile, the palace mahout who does not come under government is deprived of special facilities. But it is a fact that they all are mahouts who are given step motherly treatment. The district administration loses nothing to treat both types of mahouts equally. The outstation mahouts add flavor to Dasara Utsav during jumbosride, while the palace mahouts maintain the splendor or royals. It is known to the government.The state government that has been spending crore of rupees on Dasara Utsav, expected to consider the palace mahouts who are slogging whole year at the palace for better pay and incentives.
