Mysore/Mysuru: People came in droves to catch a glimpse of Dasara elephants at Aranya Bhavan, the Forest Department office complex at Ashokapuram in city this morning.

The first batch of nine elephants led by Howdah elephant Abhimanyu, reached Aranya Bhavan last evening, after the traditional start of their journey from Veeranahosahalli Forest Gate in Nagarahole Tiger Reserve Forest in the morning. They will be camping at Aranya Bhavan till tomorrow.

The elephants were transported in nine separate trucks and reached Aranya Bhavan via Krishnaraja Boulevard Road in city without any hiccup, after arriving here through Hunsur Road, with both the Police and Forest Department officials escorting the trucks. The enthusiastic people who had gathered on either side of the road, captured the moment of elephants mounted on the trucks, on their cell phone camera.

The children accompanied by their parents were overjoyed at the sight of gigantic elephants, which were in a relax mood at the ground near the official quarters of Forest Department, within the compound of Aranya Bhavan.

Jumbo menu

In the morning, the jumbos were fed with bunches of leaves of peepal and banyan trees, green grass and dry grass, a mix of paddy, salt and jaggery called kusare. They were bathed using pipe water, due to lack of pond facility at Aranya Bhavan.

Food facility is also arranged for mahouts and kavadis accompanying the elephants, with a catering firm entrusted with the job.

Puja at Aranya Bhavan

The elephants will be leaving Aranya Bhavan tomorrow, with Forest Department offering a traditional puja to the elephants between 8 am and 9 am. The elephants will be passing through Ballal Circle, JLB Road, Ramaswamy Circle, Chamaraja Double Road and Gun House Circle to reach Jayamarthanda Gate of the Palace, where a traditional ceremony is organised to welcome them.

Apart from Abhimanyu, elephants Dhananjaya, Gopi, Bheema, Kanjan, Rohit, Ekalavya, Varalakshmi and Lakshmi have arrived in the first batch.

Ekalavya, the first timer

Ekalavya, who is touted to be an apt replacement for Dasara veteran Arjuna, is also among the first batch of nine Dasara elephants. Arjuna, who had carried the 750-kg Golden Howdah for eight years, died in a operation to catch a rogue elephant at Dabballikatte forest area in Yesalur range, Sakleshpur taluk in Hassan district in December 2023.

Ekalavya, who was captured in a operation in Mudigere forest in 2022 is soft mannered, who remains unperturbed even to the sound of vehicles and fire crackers. The elephant is aged about 39 years, 2.88 metres tall and weighs between 4,000 kg and 4,200 kg. He belongs to Mathigodu elephant camp. Srujan is the mahout and Idayat, the kavadi, who have been taking care of the elephant.