Now Reading: Dasara elephant journey flagged off, Abhimanyu gets farewell
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Dasara elephant journey flagged off, Abhimanyu gets farewell
Minister Yathindra Siddaramaiah flagged off the Gajapayana of the first batch of nine Dasara elephants at Veeranahosahalli on the outskirts of Nagarahole Tiger Reserve on Wednesday, marking the start of preparations for…
Minister Yathindra Siddaramaiah flagged off the Gajapayana of the first batch of nine Dasara elephants at Veeranahosahalli on the outskirts of Nagarahole Tiger Reserve on Wednesday, marking the start of preparations for Mysuru Dasara. The elephants, Mahendra, Srikanta, Lakshmi, Ekalavya, Dhananjaya, Gopi, Kaveri, Prashantha and Srirama, were given a traditional welcome before embarking on their journey to Mysuru in specially arranged trucks.
The event also saw a ceremonial farewell to 60-year-old tusker Abhimanyu, who carried the golden howdah during the Jamboo Savari for six consecutive years. He was showered with flowers for his decade-long service. The first batch will be stationed at Aranya Bhavan before a formal welcome at the Mysuru Palace premises on August 28.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Mysuru Dasara, a 400-year-old tradition, is the state festival of Karnataka, with the Jamboo Savari procession as its centrepiece. The selection of elephants from Karnataka's forest camps, overseen by the Forest Department, has faced scrutiny in past years over animal welfare concerns. Abhimanyu's retirement after six years as the lead elephant highlights the rotational system meant to protect the health of ageing tuskers. The arrival of the nine elephants over the next two days will be closely watched by the district administration as they finalise the schedule for the 10-day festival culminating in the Vijayadashami procession.
The Mysuru Palace Board will hold the formal reception for the elephants on August 28.
Source: thehindu.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
