Forest Minister R. Ramalinga Reddy releases list of 12 elephants; Gajapayana on Aug. 26

Mysuru: The Forest Department has finally released the much-awaited list of elephants for this year’s Dasara festivities, ending weeks of suspense.

In a surprise move, the final squad excludes the celebrated ‘Combing Star’ Abhimanyu, who has been carrying the 750-kg Golden Howdah during the Jumboo Savari and ‘Super Star’ Bheema, also a crowd-favourite. The final list features 12 elephants.

With barely a week left for the traditional Gajapayana (elephant march) from the Veeranahosahalli Gate of the Nagarahole Tiger Reserve, the Department released the final roster after nearly a month of deliberations.

The delay was attributed to the lack of clarity over Forest Ministry portfolio allocation in the Cabinet.

Forest Department officials, who had been camping in Bengaluru for the past two days, met Forest Minister R. Ramalinga Reddy yesterday amidst the Assembly session.

They presented the list and obtained his approval for its release. Exclusion of Abhimanyu and Bheema has raised curiosity over the reasons behind the Department’s decision.

12-member squad

The Dasara squad comprises four female and eight male elephants. Interestingly, the Department has not named the leader of the squad. According to sources, the elephant that performs best during training to carry the ceremonial weight will be declared the Ambari elephant, the one that will carry the Golden Howdah.

However, insiders claim that an elephant has already been chosen for the honour and that the training test is only a formality. On Aug. 26, nine elephants will set out from the Veeranahosahalli Gate in Hunsur taluk and march towards Mysuru as part of the traditional Gajapayana.

The first batch comprises Dhananjaya, 45, from Dubare Elephant Camp; Mahendra, 42, from Balle Elephant Camp; Ekalavya, 41, from Bheemanakatte Elephant Camp; Prashanth, 54, from Dubare; Gopi, 43, from Dubare; Srirama, 41, from Dubare; Sugreeva, 44, from Dubare; Kaveri, 46, from Dubare; and Lakshmi, 54, from Balle Elephant Camp.

Three more elephants will join the Dasara contingent in Mysuru in the second week of September. They are Roopa, 50, from Dodda Harave; Chaitra, 55, from Rampura; and Srikanta, 57, from Mathigodu Elephant Camp.

Bheema kept in reserve

Bheema, 26, from Mattigodu camp, widely known as the ‘Super Star’ of the Dasara squad, and Harsha, 51, from Dubare camp, have been kept in reserve as they are in musth, a heightened hormonal state.

Sources said, their musth levels have already subsided and their behaviour is returning to normal. However, they have been retained on the reserve list for now.