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Six jumbos, including Abhimanyu, leave for Mysuru to take part in famed Jamboo Savari scheduled for Oct 11

Gajapayana, the journey of the Dasara elephants from the forests towards Mysuru to participate in the Jamboo Savari, started at Nagapura hamlet in Hunsur taluk. 

The jumbos will be nurtured and trained for the 406th edition of the Dasara festivities, scheduled to begin on October 1. The Grand finale, Jamboo Savari, will be held on October 11.

District Minister Dr H C Mahadevappa, MLAs and officials launched the Gajapayana formally by performing Gajapuja to five elephants. 

While 50-year-old Abhimanyu is from Murkal camp in Nagarahole Tiger Reserve, Kaveri (38) lives at Dubare camp in Kushalnagar. Arjuna (56) is housed at Balle camp in Nagarahole Tiger Reserve. Vijaya (59) belongs to Anekaadu camp in Kushalnagar and Balarama (58) is from Gaadipalya camp in Nagarahole Tiger Reserve. The jumbos left Nagapura in special Forest department trucks for Mysuru. Another elephant Gajendra (61) from K Gudi camp in Biligiri Ranganathaswamy Temple Tiger Reserve in Chamarajanagar district left its camp around the same time.

The elephants reached the Tree Park on the Aloka Palace premises at Ilwala on the outskirts of the city by evening. They will be welcomed at the Mysuru Palace on August 26. They will be joined by a second batch of six more elephants in a fortnight. They are: Vikrama, Gopi, Harsha and Prashanth from Dubare camp and Durgaparameshwari from K Gudi camp and Gopalaswamy from Murkal camp.

Howdah elephant

Balarama, who has carried the famed golden howdah during Jamboo Savari 14 times, has been participating in the Dasara festivities continously since 19 years. 

Arjuna has been the howdah carrier since 2012, but this year his responsibility is yet to be decided as his mahout Doddamasti has died. 

Even though Doddamasti had retired a couple of years ago, he had been acting as the mahout with his son Sannappa alias Mahesh assisting him as kaavadi. At present, Sannappa is acting as the mahout with Vinu as kaavadi.

So, Abhimanyu may get a chance to carry the howdah. However, a decision in this regard will be taken in a month after assessing the performance of all the three tuskers.

Even though Gajendra is the eldest of all, he is healthy and is a troubleshooter whenever there is a man-animal conflict. 

He was also an expert in taming rouge elephants. He has been participating in Dasara since 17 years and was discharging the responsibility of the ‘Pattada Aane’. 

However, he could not participate in the Dasara, last year, as he had killed his mahout Ganapathi, who prevented the jumbo from attacking another elephant Srirama. Hence, last year, Vikrama had don the role of the ‘Pattada Aane’. Most probably, Vikrama would continue as it is a ceremonial role.