Dhananjaya, Mahendra, Ekalavya in race to carry Golden Howdah

Mysuru: The first batch of nine Dasara elephants will begin their Gajapayana from Veeranahosahalli inside the Nagarahole Tiger Reserve on Aug. 26 and enter the Mysore Palace on Aug. 28 at an auspicious hour fixed by astrologers.

Conservator of Forests (CF), Mysuru Circle, S.S. Ravi Shankar told reporters at Aranya Bhavan this morning that Forest Minister R. Ramalinga Reddy would miss the Gajapayana event due to prior commitments in his hometown.

“The elephants will enter the Mysore Palace on Aug. 28, where they will be formally received by the Forest Minister and the Mysore Palace Board,” Ravi Shankar said. He clarified that Abhimanyu, who is nearing the retirement age of 60, was the only reason for his removal from the Golden Howdah duties and that there was no other reason or controversy behind the decision.

Responding to questions about the removal of six-time Golden Howdah carrier Abhimanyu from Dasara duties, Ravi Shankar said that a comprehensive screening of 20 elephants had been conducted for Dasara. Following the screening, senior Forest Department officials decided to retire Abhimanyu after he reached the prescribed age limit of 60 years.

Despite being in excellent health, active and highly responsive to his Mahout and Kavadi, the decision was taken strictly in accordance with the Department’s age criteria, he said.

‘All procedures followed’

Addressing questions about Abhimanyu’s broken tusk and the absence of a traditional retirement farewell, Ravi Shankar declined to comment further, stating that official procedures had been followed. He also declined to comment on why Abhimanyu was not given a ceremonial send-off, as is customary for Dasara elephants.

With Abhimanyu stepping down, the Department is preparing a new lead elephant to carry the 750-kg Golden Howdah (Ambari).

Three elephants have been shortlisted for training, with Dhananjaya considered the frontrunner and first choice, followed by Mahendra as the second preference and Ekalavya as the third.

The final selection will depend on how calmly and obediently the elephants respond to commands during rehearsal drills, particularly while being exposed to large crowds, he added.

Meanwhile, concerns were raised about Prashanth, a Dasara elephant currently deployed for field operations in Siddapura in Kodagu district. Ravi Shankar clarified that Prashanth would be recalled shortly to join the Dasara preparations.