Mysuru: With just a week left for the world famous Jumboo Savari (Oct. 21), the selection of the successor to Abhimanyu to carry the Golden Howdah this year is still not done which has left many curious.
As Mahendra and Dhananjaya are out of the race, 54-year-old Prashantha from Dubare Elephant Camp, which has excelled in the weight carrying exercise on the Jumboo Savari route, is most likely to be the Howdah Elephant.
Over 13 elephants (four female and nine male), including ‘Combing Expert’ Abhimanyu, have arrived from various elephant camps to take part in Dasara festivities and Abhimanyu will be the ‘Nishane’ (Lead) Elephant.
Four male elephants — Mahendra, Dhananjaya, Ekalavya and Prashantha — were in race for the howdah elephant and all of them were given training in lifting weights as any one of them would be carrying the nearly 750-kg Golden Howdah during Jumboo Savari this year.
As Mahendra failed to carry the wooden howdah during the training twice and Dhananjaya taking part in Srirangapatna Dasara, both of them are out of the race. As Ekalavya is selected at the Royal Lead Elephant and taking part in the religious rituals at Mysore Palace, he too is out of the race leaving Prashantha alone in the race.
Though Sugreeva responded positively during the training, he lacks experience and is still 41 years of age making it difficult for the Forest officials to select him as the Howdah Elephant.
It has become a challenge to select the future Howdah Elephant after Abhimanyu was given retirement as he turned 60 years of age. Abhimanyu had carried the Golden Howdah with grace from 2020 till 2025.
After Abhimanyu, it is Prashantha, who is the seniormost elephant in the Dasara jumbo squad, who has participated in Dasara festivities for 16 times.
He was captured in 1993 at Karekoppa Forest area in Shivamogga district and brought to Dubare Elephant Camp where he was domesticated.
He stands 2.61 mts tall, 3.46 mts in length and weighs 4,800 kgs. G.A. Chinnappa is his Mahout and Chandra is the Kavadi.
This post was published on October 14, 2026 7:30 pm