With just two months left for the grand Mysuru Dasara Jamboo Savari, preparations are officially kicking off with Gajapayana — the ceremonial journey of elephants — from Veeranahosahalli Gate, Nagarahole Tiger Reserve, on Monday.
Forest Minister Eshwar B Khandre will flag off the first batch of nine elephants, beginning their journey from the forests to Mysuru city. The jumbos, accompanied by traditional cultural troupes like Kamsaale, Veeragaase, and Dollu Kunitha, will be paraded briefly before being transported in trucks to Aranya Bhavan, Mysuru, by Monday evening.
A grand traditional welcome awaits the elephants and their mahouts on Thursday at Jayamarthanda Gate of Mysuru Palace, where they’ll be housed for the Dasara festivities.
This year’s Dasara inauguration is set for September 22, atop Chamundi Hill, while the iconic Jamboo Savari procession will take place on October 2 (Vijayadashami).
The Forest Department has approved 14 elephants, including four females, for this year’s events.
First batch includes:
- Abhimanyu, Bheema, Ekalavya (Matthigodu camp)
- Mahendra, Lakshmi (Balle camp)
- Prashantha, Dhananjaya, Kanjan, Kaveri (Dubare camp)
Second batch (to arrive later) features new entrants:
- Srikanta (Matthigodu): Captured in 2014, named after late royal Srikantadatta Wadiyar
- Roopa (Bheemanakatte): Rescued from Gemini Circus in 2015
- Hemavathi (Dubare): An 11-year-old, recently moved from Sakrebailu camp
The inclusion of new elephants marks a continued effort to train young jumbos and preserve Mysuru’s royal Dasara legacy.