Mysuru: The Forest Department has cancelled the traditional pooja to elephants on Wednesday September 8 following the demise of Forest Minister Umesh Katti.
DCF Karikalan has informed that the traditional pooja has been cancelled for the second team of elephants which entered palace. He said the first team of elephants including Arjuna, Gopalaswamy, Dhananjaya, Mahendra, Bhima, Kaveri, Chaitra and Lakshi elephants, led by Abhimanyu, had already arrived on August 7 to Mysuru and entered palace on August 10 from Jayamarthanda Gate. The elephants were given traditional reception with pooja and trainings have begun, he added.
The second batch of five elephants of which the 18-year-old youngest elephant, Parthasarathy, has arrived from the Ramapura camp, and the rest of the elephants include Sri Rama and Sugriva, Gopi and Vijaya came from Dubare elephant camp.
DCF Karikalan said that a total of 14 elephants include first batch of nine elephants who will be given training on canon firing from Thursday September 8 and all the preparations were made in this regard. He said that all the elephants will be weighed as usual.
