Mysuru: The festive spirit of Mysuru Dasara came alive on Friday as the first batch of nine Dasara elephants received a grand traditional welcome at the Jayamarthanda Gate of Mysuru Palace.
The elephants, which arrived in the city after the traditional Gajapayana at Veeranahosahalli, were accorded a ceremonial reception by the Mysuru district administration and the Mysuru Palace Board.
Lakshmi and Cauvery led the group, followed by Dhananjaya, Gopi, Srirama, Prashantha, Mahendra, Srikanta and Ekalavya. The pachyderms participated in a customary puja amid the sounds of the police band and Naadaswara performance by members of the Sri Chamundeshwari Temple team from Chamundi Hill.
Traditional welcome at palace
Forest, Ecology and Environment Minister Ramalinga Reddy offered puja and floral benediction to the elephants at 10.12 am during the auspicious Tula lagna.
Mysuru district in-charge minister Dr S Yathindra, MLAs G T Devegowda and T S Srivatsa, MLCs, Deputy Commissioner G Lakshmikanth Reddy, Mysuru Division Regional Commissioner Nitesh Patil and Police Commissioner Seema Latkar were among those who participated in the ceremony.
Mysuru Palace Board Deputy Director T S Subramanya, MCC Commissioner M K Savitha and Sri Chamundeshwari Kshetra Development Authority secretary M J Roopa also attended the programme.
Sri Chamundeshwari Devi chief priest Shashishekar Dixit and Mysuru Palace Ganesha Temple priest S V Prahlad Rao led the religious rituals.
The elephants were offered jaggery, fruits and traditional goodies, including modaka, as part of the welcome ceremony.
Police band and cultural troupes add colour
The city police and a 30-member English police band led by B Manjunath presented a guard of honour to the elephants.
The pachyderms later proceeded in a ceremonial procession towards the palace, accompanied by mounted police personnel and cultural groups.
Women carrying kalashas, men dressed in traditional durbar attire and performers from folk art groups participated in the procession.
Performances including Pooja Kunitha and Dollu Kunitha added to the festive atmosphere.
A large number of Mysureans and tourists gathered along the route to catch a glimpse of the elephants, marking the beginning of the annual Dasara preparations in the city.
Elephants handed over to Deputy Commissioner
Forest Department officials formally handed over the elephants to Mysuru Deputy Commissioner G Lakshmikanth Reddy in front of the palace.
The elephants will remain at the palace premises until the conclusion of this year’s Dasara festivities.
The nine elephants will be housed in nine separate tents, while their mahouts, kavadis and their families will stay in 18 tents.
Support staff, including cooks, will be accommodated in four additional tents.
The arrangements have been made to ensure that the elephants and their caretakers have the necessary facilities throughout their stay in Mysuru.
Families of caretakers receive essential kits
As part of the arrangements, families of the elephant caretakers were provided with household and personal-use items.
The kit included a gas stove, gas pipe, regulator and lighter for cooking.
Women were provided sarees and blouses, while men received shirts, lungis and towels.
The families were also given buckets, jugs, two mats, two jamkhanas and two bedsheets.
The distribution of these essential items is part of the administration’s arrangements for the mahouts, kavadis and their families during the Dasara period.
Elephants to undergo special training
The elephants will undergo a series of preparations in the coming days to build their stamina and familiarise them with the requirements of the Dasara procession.
They will be weighed and provided with special nutritious food as part of their preparation for the grand Jamboo Savari.
Training will be conducted in phases, allowing the elephants to gradually adapt to the procession environment and the crowds, sounds and activities associated with the Dasara celebrations.
The training is particularly important for the elephant that will carry the golden howdah during the Jamboo Savari.
The idol of Goddess Sri Chamundeshwari, which will be carried in the golden howdah during the procession, was also offered puja at the palace on Friday.
Elephants arrive after Gajapayana
The first batch of nine elephants arrived in Mysuru on Wednesday following the traditional Gajapayana ceremony at Veeranahosahalli.
After reaching Mysuru, the elephants stayed at the Aranya Bhavan premises on Thursday and were allowed to rest before proceeding to the palace on Friday.
On Friday morning at around 8.45 am, Forest Department officials led by Chief Conservator of Forests S S Ravishankar, Deputy Conservator of Forests I B Prabhugowda and Range Forest Officer Yeshma Machamma offered puja to the elephants.
The elephants then began their journey towards the palace.
They reached the palace premises at around 9.50 am, where the traditional reception and ceremonial rituals were held.
People gather along procession route
The arrival of the Dasara elephants generated considerable excitement among residents and visitors.
People lined both sides of the road from Aranya Bhavan to the Jayamarthanda Gate of Mysuru Palace.
The route passed through Ballal Circle, Ramaswamy Circle and Basaveshwara Circle before reaching the palace.
The elephants marched in a mini procession accompanied by Naadaswara music, giving residents an early glimpse of the spectacle associated with the annual Dasara celebrations.
The arrival of the elephants traditionally marks one of the most anticipated stages of Mysuru Dasara preparations.
With the first batch now settled inside the palace premises, preparations will intensify in the coming weeks.
The elephants will continue their diet, fitness and training programme before taking part in the Jamboo Savari, one of the central attractions of Mysuru Dasara.
The presence of the elephants, along with the traditional rituals and cultural performances, has once again brought the Dasara atmosphere to the city and set the stage for the grand celebrations ahead.