Selection trials for Dasara jumbos begin; Gajapayana likely in Sept first week

Shyam Sundar Vattam | NT

Bengaluru: The search has begun for tamed elephants for their participation in Mysuru Dasara 2023 to be held from October 14.

A team of senior forest officials are visiting various elephant camps in Mysuru, Chamarajanagar and Kodagu districts for the selection of jumbos for the ten-day Dasara festival to be held in Mysuru in October.

The officials, accompanied by veterinary doctors, are examining the health condition of every pachyderm which had participated in the previous nada habbas.

They are particularly concerned about female elephants as one of the elephants that came to Mysuru last year for the Dasara festivities, had delivered a calf inside the temporary elephant shed.

This had made animal activists ask why a pregnant elephant was brought for the Dasara festival and made it undergo gruelling pre- procession exercises.

Since then, the department has become cautious and is not ready to take any chances. It has decided to hold the general medical checkup of every elephant that takes part in the Dasara festival.

Highly placed sources told News Trail that once the selection of elephants is over, the list would be sent to the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Chief Wildlife Warden for the final approval.

Only after the official consent from top officials of the forest department is obtained will permission be granted for shifting the selected jumbos from various elephant camps to Mysuru where they will stay for more than a month.

Gajapayana next month? According to sources, the Gajapayana, an occasion for bringing the Dasara jumbos from Veeranahosalli in Hunsur taluk of Mysuru district, is likely to be held in the first week of September.

The first batch of elephants would be given a ceremonial welcome at Veeranahosalli village from where they would come to Mysuru in trucks, and enter the palace premises on an auspicious day and at an auspicious time.

They will stay back in the temporary sheds till the end of Dasara festivities.