To be welcomed at Jayamarthanda Gate

Mysore/Mysuru: The second batch of five Dasara elephants, including three debutants, will be welcomed into the Mysore Palace through Jayamarthanda Gate at 4 pm today on their arrival from forest camps.

The five elephants, which include three males and two females are: 43-year-old Gopi, 43-year-old Sugreeva and 11-year-old Hemavathi (debutant) from Dubare Elephant Camp, 56-year-old Srikanta (debutant) from Mathigodu Elephant Camp and 44-year-old Roopa (debutant) from Bheemanakatte Elephant Camp.

Elephant Bhima, which arrived in the first batch, topped the chart at 5,465 kg when its weight was checked on Aug. 11. But Srikanta, which will be participating for the first time in Dasara festivities this year, is heavier than Bhima and it is said that he is the strongest among other Dasara elephants. He is also tipped to become the Golden Howdah carrier in future.

It may be recalled that the first batch of nine Dasara elephants led by Captain and Golden Howdah carrier Abhimanyu arrived in city on Aug. 4 and entered Mysore Palace on Aug. 10. The nine Dasara elephants are now put on special diet. Training to make them familiar on Jumboo Savari route and get accustomed to the traffic has begun.

Yesterday, the nine Dasara jumbos underwent route familiarisation training in the presence of hundreds of people. When the jumbos, which were led out through Balarama Gate, adjacent to Kote Anjaneyaswamy Temple, hundreds of people clicked photos of their favourite elephant and also took videos of their march.

Yesterday being a Sunday, tourists had also arrived in large numbers and witnessed the elephants marching on Jumboo Savari route. As a marathon was also flagged off at the same time, the runners ran along the jumbos for some distance after which the Police and Forest Department personnel asked them to stay at a safe distance from the elephants.

The elephants marched till the Old RMC Circle and returned  to the Palace disappointing those who were waiting beyond Old RMC Circle as they had thought that the elephants would march till the Torchlight Parade Grounds in Bannimantap.  This year, Dasara festivities will commence on Sept. 22 and will conclude with Jumboo Savari on Oct. 2.