The administration has set the ball rolling for the Mysore Dasara. After the ceremonial send off from the Nagarahole forest, the first contingent of six of the 12 elephants was given a similar ceremonial welcome at the Mysore Palace on Monday.
Four elephants, led by howdah-carrier elephant Arjuna, had left the Nagapura village bordering Nagarahole sanctuary in Hunsur taluk on September 7. Two others made their journey to Mysore directly.
The richly-decorated six elephants were accorded a grand welcome at the Jayamarthanda Gate, the main entrance to the palace, where they were welcomed with the traditional drumming and music. Men dressed in the traditional durbar dress, white trousers and black long coats with laced turban, walked in front of them with women in white sarees.
District in-charge minister S A Ramadas and district officials showered flower petals and led them up to the ‘Aane Bagilu’ or the ‘elephant gate’ at the palace.
Later, the Dasara elephants were taken to the temporary sheds erected in the palace fort premises. They will be stationed there till the Dasara celebrations conclude, before being being taken back to the forest. They will be cared for to rule out any health issues and they will be fed well to make them fit to participate in the Dasara procession on the Vijaya Dasami day. Mahouts and others who have accompanied the elephants will also camp along with them.
The six elephants that got the ceremonial welcome were Arjuna, Balarama, Srirama, Abhimanjyu, Arjuna and Vijaya.
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The second contingent of six elephants will reach Mysore early next month, making it a dozen.
Brian Wells, an Aucklander from New Zealand, who witnessed the march of Dasara elephants, described it as ‘marvellous’. He was happy to be in Mysore to witness the event and the illumination of the palace as well, the previous night, when it provided him an opportunity to see the ‘Krishna Janmashtami’ procession, a religious procession of Lord Krishna as part of His birthday celebrations.
Ramadas told reporters the government-sponsored Dasara celebrations would be inaugurated on October 16 atop the Chamundi Hills. The state government had provided Rs 6 crore for the arrangements for this year’s celebrations. In view of the drought-like conditions in many parts of the state, the celebrations will be truncated.
Bijapur’s Gyanayogashrama Mutt chief Siddheswara Swami will be formally invited on October 14 to inaugurate the 10-day-long celebrations. Chief minister Jagadish Shettar will inaugurate other Dasara events at the palace. It was proposed to invite 70 ambassadors to witness the celebrations.
A gift for Dasara for Mysoreans would be availability of Kabini water for drinking purposes. The much-delayed project from the Kabini river is expected to be inaugurated during Dasara.