The initial group of nine Dasara elephants began their practice session on Tuesday, aiming to familiarise themselves with the Raja Marga procession path for the grand Jamboo Savari and adapt to the presence of crowds.
The elephants—Abhimanyu, Lakshmi, Kaveri, Bheema, Mahendra, Ekalavya, Prashantha, Dhananjaya, and Kanjan—left Mysuru Palace at 7:27 am, arriving at the old RMC Yard on Sayyaji Rao Road by 8:10 am. Following a short 10-minute rest, they returned to the palace by 8:50 am, covering 4.43 km in around 80 minutes.
Accompanied by Forest and Police Department teams, with one escort vehicle leading and three following, the gentle giants moved in dignified formation. Announcements urged onlookers to refrain from shouting or provoking the animals, while Traffic Police managed road clearances.
The route attracted eager spectators—families, students, and vendors—many of whom offered flowers, clicked photographs, and guided children to witness the spectacle. A magnetic detector vehicle preceded the herd, collecting roughly half a kilogram of sharp metal debris, ensuring safety for the elephants’ feet.
Deputy Conservator of Forests I. B. Prabhu Gowda reported the elephants are healthy and calm, with phased training set to continue until they traverse the full 4.8 km stretch to Bannimantapa. A second batch of elephants will arrive in two weeks.
In the evening, they walked 2.8 km in 50 minutes to acclimatise to lighting conditions, replicating the dusk atmosphere during the festival’s return procession.