Mysuru: Reacting to the delay in the Forest Department replying to the letter she had sent, Pramoda Devi Wadiyar, speaking to Star of Mysore, said, “I definitely can take care of the elephants in my possession. However, due to administrative inconvenience, I wrote to the Forest Department to take back at least three elephants as I found problems with a few handlers who were not doing a proper job of looking after them.”

According to Pramoda Devi, her husband, late Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar had bought two elephants Preethi and Indira and later the five elephants from the circus Seetha, Gemini, Chanchala, Ruby and Rajeshwari were given to them to nurture them.

“I love the animals as much as my husband did if not more because, strangely whether they are dogs, horses or elephants they show a special affinity to me. Any day I prefer feeding the animals because they do not speak. You have to be sensitive to their needs,” she said and added “all the rulers of Mysore have been conservationists with regard to animals, forest resources and water conservation.”

Asked about a few animal activists opposing the howdah-chosen elephant carrying it, Pramoda Devi said, “My late father-in-law Jayachamaraja Wadiyar was a lover of animals. If he had ever thought that carrying the howdah would inconvenience the animals, he would have stopped the practice long ago.”

What about the stress to the animal? “Stress is a chemical reaction when there is a lot of adrenalin secretion. When a dog is attacked it also strikes back because of the stress. Hence, an elephant weighing five to six tonnes or more can easily carry a  golden howdah weighing 750 kg,” she said.

Indrakshi Devi, one of the daughters of late Jayachamaraja Wadiyar, recalling the glorious past of her father’s time said, “Those were the days when on Vijayadashami not only was there a procession that began from the Palace and reached Bannimantap but there was a return night procession. This was the procession that everyone looked forward to with eager anticipation.”

Asked if the howdah elephant would not be stressed having to carry the howdah both ways, she said, “Once the elephants reach Bannimantap, the howdah would be dismounted. My father was very particular that the elephants had sufficient rest. They would be fed well. Biligiri Ranga was one elephant that I remember, which was chosen as howdah elephant and it was very strong and it would carry my father, uncle and my brother Srikantadatta on its back both ways.”

Recalling the time how Jayachamaraja Wadiyar conducted the Dasara, she said that on the day of the procession he would mount the elephant carrying the howdah after most of the cavalcade had passed. After taking the salute in the Durbar, he would mount the howdah elephant. Once the cavalcade reached Bannimantap all those who participated would be given snacks and coffee and dinner for those in the return procession

She also recalled her mother talking about the time when Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar, his brother Sri Kanteerava Narasimharaja Wadiyar and her father were all part of the procession and how students of Ursu Boarding School, both boys and girls, would be invited to participate in Dasara festivities for two days.