Elephants of Mysuru Dasara poised to carry forward the golden legacy

The countdown for the Vijayadashmi procession, which marks the expansive finale of the Mysuru Dasara, has begun and each eyes are present connected the gentle giants from the jungle camps who are rehearsing for the Jamboo Savari since August.

Led by seasoned tusker Abhimanyu — who is slated to transportation the 750 kg aureate howdah with the idol of goddess Chamundeshwari connected October 2, 2025 — 14 elephants volition beryllium portion of the expansive procession which volition commence from the Amba Vilas Palace and culminate astatine Bannimantap.

For many, the grandeur of Mysuru Dasara rests not lone connected the royal pageantry and the taste programmes but successful the spot and the dignity personified by the caparisoned elephants who are an intrinsic portion of the festival since clip immemorial.

Abhimanyu and his predecessors

While Abhimanyu — who volition beryllium carrying the aureate howdah for the sixth clip successful a enactment — volition hog the limelight, helium has inherited the mantle from his illustrious predecessors each of whom were stars successful their ain right.

This includes Arjuna, a legendary elephant who had carried the aureate howdah 9 times and retired successful 2020, but died successful an operation helium led to seizure rogue elephants successful Hassan successful December 2023.

Before Arjuna was Balarama, known for his majestic quality and fixed to calm disposition, who had carried the aureate howdah from 2000 to 2011.

But the grounds for carrying the howdah maximum fig of times rests with Drona. It was the ‘Ambaari Aane’ oregon the howdah elephant 18 times from 1980 to 1998. It died nether tragic circumstances connected coming into interaction with a unrecorded electrical ligament successful 1998 portion foraging for fodder adjacent the jungle camps.

Giving institution to Abhimanyu arsenic Kumki elephants this twelvemonth volition beryllium Kaveri and Roopa. The different elephants that represent the jumbo brigade see Dhananjaya who is designated arsenic the Nishane elephant. Gopi is the Naupat elephant and they volition beryllium followed by Mahendra, Srikantha, Bheema, Ekalavya, Prashanth, Sugriva and Hemavathi.

Weight training, dependable famaliarisation

All the elephants person been enactment done intensive grooming since August, and it included their regular march from the palace to the Bannimantap Grounds to get acclimatised to the din and sound of the city, and the show of radical and the cheering crowd. A cardinal constituent successful the harmless navigation of the elephants done the roads is the enslaved they person with their respective mahouts.

Apart from the regular drill of covering the procession route, Abhimanyu and Mahendra were trained to transportation value and get habituated to bearing 750 kg connected their backs, being the value of the aureate howdah. While Abhimanyu volition mantle the work of carrying the howdah, it is simply a signifier to person different antheral elephant acceptable arsenic a standby successful lawsuit of immoderate unforeseen developments.

Other trials undergone by the elephants see familiarisation to the dependable of the canon firing, giving salute to the guests astatine the podium etc. The past rehearsal earlier the procession time was held connected September 30 and included constabulary set marching to the tune of the classical compositions.