Srirangapatna: A grand Jumboo Savari procession marked the launch of the 4-day, 416th Srirangapatna Dasara at the historic town of Srirangapatna yesterday.

The Jumboo Savari procession was launched at Bannimantap, Kirangur in the outskirts of the town after priest Bhanuprakash Sharma performed pujas and other associated rituals to specially decorated idol of Goddess Chamundeshwari.

Later, the Jumboo Savari procession began, which chiefly figured Dasara elephant Dhananjaya carrying the 250-kg wooden howdah, with the idol of Goddess Chamundeshwari placed in it.

Noted actor-Director V. Ravichandran inaugurated the Dasara in the presence of Mandya District In-charge Minister N. Cheluvarayaswamy, Agriculture Minister P.M. Narendraswamy, MLA and CESC Chairman Rameshbabu Bandisiddegowda and a host of other dignitaries.

The procession which commenced from Bannimantap, passed through Kirangur, Baburayanakoppal, Mysuru-Bengaluru road and prominent streets of the town before culminating at the sprawling Sriranganathaswamy temple grounds where the grand ‘Sriranga Vedike’ stage has been erected for the 4-day event.

People had lined up in large numbers on either side of the roads to watch the grand spectacle of Dhananjaya carrying the howdah with the idol of Goddess Chamundeshwari. Dasara elephant Dhananjaya was accompanied by Kumki elephants Lakshmi and Roopa.

The Jumboo Savari procession was accompanied by a host of folk and cultural troupes which lent more colour to the grand procession, as it passed through the main thoroughfares of the Fort town.

Earlier, MLA Rameshbabu Bandisiddegowda performed puja to Nandi Dhwaja at Kirangur, thus heralding the 4-day Srirangapatna Dasara, which will conclude on Oct. 18.