Elephants began journey to take part in Dasara Festivals

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ENARADA NEWS AND WEBCASTENARADA, Mysore, August 28,2013:

To take part in the Dasara Festivals, the first batch of elephants started their journey (Gajapayana) from Nagapura village bordering Nagarahole National Park, today.

As per the tradition, District in-charge minister V.Srinivasa prasad performed pooja to Elephants ,which marks the beginning of Dasara Fetivities. He showered petals on the elephants. The elephants were given an oil bath and sumptuously fed with Jaggery, Sugarcane and coconuts. The actual Dasara celebations takes place between October 5 and October 14 but today’s beginning of Elephants journey was the most important aspect of Dasara.

Hunsur MLA Manjunath presided over the function. Mysore DC C. Shikha, Regional Commissioner M.V. Jayanthi and other officials were present.

The first batch comprised elephants  53 year old Arjuna , Abbimanyu(47), sarala (71), varalakshmi (46) and Balarama (55 ) . Gajendra (57) elephant will reach Mysore city separately from a different forest range. This year Arjuna will be  carrying the 750 kgs golden howdah for the third time in the famed Dasara procession, the grand  finale of the  dasara festivities on October 14.

The second batch consisting of eight elephants Prashanta, Harsha, Vikrama, Srirama, Gopi, Gopalaswamy, Vijay, and Durgaparameshwari  would arrive in the city during the third  week of next month. All the elephants would be housed at the palace courtyard and made to undergo rehearsals every day before for the grand dasara procession.  These pachyderms would form the grand herd of caparisoned elephants that would add grandeur to the festivities.

It was customary for the elephants to be shifted to the Mysore palace courtyard at least one month before the commencement of the festivities for acclimatization.

All the elephants are veterans and all of them have participated in the festivities on more than ten occasions, the elephants are reckoned to be quite “seasoned” and would not take long for acclimatization and their shift from the jungle camp to the concrete jungle is expected to be a smooth affair.

Speaking on the occasion V. Srinivasa Prasad said that the state government which has taken over the responsibility of conducting the dasara festivities since 1973 and had become Nadahabba.

The tradition of Dasara is going on for the last 403 years. Dasara festivities was originated from Vijyanagara empire, later shifted to Srirangapatna, there after the Mysore wadiyar family continued the tradition. Now the state government conducting the mega event as state festival with continued vigour and without compromising its originality, he added

This year the celebrations will be more meaning full since, the good rains across the state and all reservoirs were  filed up with  farming community were more happy after two years of drought situation in the state, he said

He also said that there will be a steep increase of tourists and visitors expected to attend festivities this year and asked the district administration to make smooth facilities to everyone who visit to the city.

The mahuts of the elephants were invited for the dasara festivities with respect and all facilities  would be made available for them and their family members during their stay in the city .

Meanwhile, preparations have commenced for the dasara festivities by forming various committees to take up the various works and Instructions have been issued to complete the road repair work along the procession route and  other parts the city.

This year’s festivities will see a publicity blitz to rope in tourists not only from across the country but outside the country also.

Jnanpeeta award winner Dr. Chandrashekhar Kumbar will inagurate the Dasara festival on October 5, atop the Chamundi Hills.

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