• First batch of nine Dasara elephants to be transported to Mysuru in trucks after performing traditional puja
• Jumbo team to enter Mysore Palace on Aug. 23

Mysore/Mysuru: Gajapayana, the traditional march of Dasara elephants from forest to Mysuru, will be flagged off held at Veeranahosahalli in Nagarahole tomorrow.

Dasara festivities will commence on Oct. 3 and will conclude on Oct. 12.

Disclosing this at a press meet in Aranya Bhavan here yesterday, Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF), Wildlife Division, Dr. I.B. Prabhugowda said that District Minister Dr. H.C. Mahadevappa will launch the Gajapayana by showering petals on the Dasara elephants following which a stage programme will be held. On the occasion, Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre will release a booklet containing information of all elephants participating in this year’s Dasara festivities.

Hunsur MLA G.D. Harish Gowda will preside. Ministers K. Venkatesh and Shivaraj Tangadagi are the special invitees.

H.D. Kote MLA and Jungle Lodges & Resorts Chairman Anil Chikkamadu, Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation (CESC) Limited Chairman A.B. Ramesh Babu Bandi Siddegowda and State Guarantee Schemes Implementation Authority Vice-President Dr. Pushpa Amarnath will be present.

MPs Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar and Sunil Bose will be the chief guests. MLAs, MLCs and Chairmen of Boards and Corporations will be present as guests, the DCF said.

Continuing, the DCF said that a stage is being set up at Veeranahosahalli and over 3,500 people are expected to participate in the Gajapayana event and added that food will be served to all participants. About eight to ten folk troupes and tribal children will take part in the cultural programmes, he added.

Transportation in trucks

After the launch of Gajapayana, the nine elephants of the first batch will be transported to Aranya Bhavan in Mysuru in trucks on the same day where they will be housed and on Aug. 23 morning, traditional puja will be performed to the nine elephants and will march from Aranya Bhavan to Mysore Palace. Upon their arrival at the Jayamarthanda Gate of the Palace, a function to welcome these elephants inside the Palace premises will take place, the DCF said.

The nine elephants which will arrive in the first batch are: Abhimanyu, Varalakshmi, Dhananjaya, Gopi, Bheema, Lakshmi, Kanjan, Rohit and Elalavya.

After 10 days, the second batch of five elephants will arrive to Mysuru. Apart from these 14 elephants, an additional four elephants will be kept as standby or reserve. They will not be brought to Mysuru but will stay in their respective camps and will be brought only in case of emergency, DCF Dr. Prabhugowda said and added that all 14 Dasara elephants will undergo health check-up and pregnancy reports of all female elephants have been obtained which are negative.

Pointing out that Mahendra will be brought in the second batch as he is trained, the DCF said that as he is domesticated, it was decided that he does not need more training and added that elephants arriving in the second batch does not need more training.

The five elephants which will arrive in the second batch are Prashanth, Mahendra, Sugreeva, Lakshmi and Hiranya, DCF Dr. Prabhugowda said.

Training to commence from Aug. 24

The training to the first batch of nine elephants to make the Jumboo Savari route familiar to them and also to acclimatise them to the noise of vehicles will commence from Aug. 24.

The DCF said that there were some technical issues in the first tender called for transporting the elephants in trucks from Veeranahosahalli to Mysuru and again take them back, hence a second tender was called and the work order has been issued.

All 18 elephants will be insured and temporary sheds to house all 14 Dasara elephants, Mahouts and Kavadis have been built in Palace premises, the DCF said and added that weights of all nine elephants arriving in the first batch will be checked on Aug. 24 following which the training begins.

Ekalavya to replace Arjuna

Arjuna, who had carried Golden Howdah eight times during Jumboo Savari, met his tragic end during an operation to capture a wild elephant. Arjuna was gored to death by the wild elephant.

Now, Ekalavya has been identified to replace Arjuna.

DCF Dr. Prabhugowda said that 39-year-old Ekalavya will be participating for the first time in Dasara and added that he does not panic due to loud noise. To a question whether any programme has been organised in memory of Arjuna, the DCF said that it is yet to be decided to hold a programme in Arjuna’s memory.