Bylakuppe: Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot yesterday visited the popular tourist spot Dubare elephant camp near Kushalnagar. He inaugurated ‘Vana Mahotsava’ event organised by the Forest Department by planting a sapling.

Governor Gehlot who arrived at the other end of the elephant camp by crossing the Cauvery river by a boat, had a view of the camp elephants and beautiful scenery all around. The Mahouts apprised the Governor on the daily routine of elephants and their activities. Even as Gehlot was watching the elephants, one of them blessed the Governor by touching his head with its trunk. Later, the Governor received inputs on the life and livelihood of the tribal population in Dubare forest. Gehlot also interacted with Mahouts, during which the Mahouts sought a hike in their wages. The Governor rested for sometime at ‘Aane Mahal’, before leaving Dubare.

Gehlot, who was on his first ever visit to Dubare, was honoured  by Nanjarayapatna Gram Panchayat President C.L. Vishwa. Kodagu DC Dr. Satish, CCF B.N.N. Murthy, DFO Poovaiah, Kushalnagar Tahsildar Prakash, Kushalnagar RFO Shivaram, Dubare Deputy Forest Officer Ranjan, DRFOs Anil D’Souza, Vilas, Chetan and Manjegowda, Nanjarayapatna GP PDO Kalpana and others were present.

Visits Golden Temple

The Governor also visited the Tibetan Golden Temple at Bylakuppe on Mysuru-Madikeri Road in Periyapatna taluk yesterday. He was given a traditional welcome by Buddhist monks and received with Police honours. Gehlot went around the Golden Temple, when he was explained about the significance of three Buddha idols installed there and Monastery’s activities.

The Governor was presented with a Buddha idol by Namdroling Monastery on the occasion.

Mysuru DC Dr. Bagadi Gautham, Tahsildar Chandramouli, SP R. Chethan, Additional SP Shivakumar, Bettadapura CPI Prakash, PSIs Basavaraju, Prakash Yettinamani and Chikkaswamy, RI Pradeep, Village Accountant Naveen, Namdroling Monastery  Administrators Tulku Choedhar, Khenpo Ngawang Samten, Khenpo Tenzin Yeshe, Khenpo Pema Tashi, Lopon Gyurme, Lopon Tenzin Yeshe, Khenpo Karma Drubwang, Lopon Pema Namgyal and others were present. Gehlot arrived at Madikeri for a two-day tour of Kodagu district on Friday when he was received with Government honours at Hotel Mayura Valley View in Madikeri. He later  held an interaction with beneficiaries of various Government schemes, plans, programmes, projects and initiatives. He thereafter visited Bhagamandala and Talacauvery, the birth place of River Cauvery, which is the life-line for crores of people along Cauvery basin.