Grand Jumboo Savari

Tusker Prashantha carries 750-kg Golden Howdah with ease

Mysuru: The Jumboo Savari, grand finale and chief attraction of Mysuru Dasara, concluded smoothly yesterday, with debutant tusker Prashantha drawing widespread appreciation for carrying Golden Howdah with composure.

Leading the elephant squad, Prashantha carried the 750-kg Golden Howdah bearing the idol of Goddess Chamundeshwari through the 5.5-km route from the Mysore Palace to Bannimantap. Thousands of devotees and spectators lined the streets, raising chants and cheers as the idol passed by.

Adorned in a green saree, the idol of Goddess Chamundeshwari received floral tributes from Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar during the auspicious Meena Lagna between 4.10 pm and 4.35 pm.

Praying for the welfare of the people, the CM flagged off Jumboo Savari for his first Dasara as Chief Minister. On this occasion, a statue of Veera Gangadhara Ajjayya crafted by Mysuru sculptor Rajesh was presented to the CM as a memento.

Two-hour journey

Prashantha departed from the Mysore Palace at 4.31 pm and reached Bannimantap in about two hours without showing signs of fatigue. His successful debut dispelled the concerns of Forest Department officials, who had been closely monitoring his performance. His composure has strengthened his prospects of becoming a lead Dasara elephant in the coming years.

Along with CM Shivakumar (see pic. below), floral tributes were offered to the deity by Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, Keralam Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan, District Minister Dr. Yathindra Siddaramaiah, Kannada and Culture Minister Shivaraj Tangadagi, Mysuru-Kodagu MP and Titular Head of Mysore Royal Family Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, CM’s wife Usha Shivakumar, Chief Secretary Dr. Shalini Rajneesh, Deputy Commissioner G. Lakshmikanth Reddy and Mysuru City Police Commissioner Seema Latkar.

21-gun salute

A 21-gun salute accompanied by the National Anthem was also presented in honour of Goddess Chamundeshwari. Prashantha was accompanied by kumki elephants Kaveri and Roopa throughout the route to help keep him calm and steady.

Police personnel and commandos maintained a security cordon around the lead elephant to prevent crowds from getting too close. Forest Department officials, including veterinarians, accompanied the three elephants throughout the Dasara procession route.

Lakhs of people lined the route from Mysore Palace through Chamaraja Wadiyar Circle, Albert Victor Road, K.R. Circle, Sayyaji Rao Road, RMC Circle, Bamboo Bazaar and Moulana Abul Kalam Azad Circle (Highway Circle) to Bannimantap.

Devotees folded their hands in reverence and raised slogans in praise of the Goddess as the Golden Howdah passed through the crowds.

Nandi Dhwaja ritual

Before the procession began, CM Shivakumar, wearing a traditional Mysuru Peta, offered prayers to the traditional Nandi Dhwaja near the Kote Anjaneyaswamy Temple at the Balarama Gate of the Mysore Palace, in keeping with age-old customs. The ritual was performed during the auspicious Makara Lagna between 1.35 pm and 1.56 pm, after which he formally flagged off the procession.

Abhimanyu’s final salute to his fans

Elephant Abhimanyu, the Nishane elephant, led the procession, followed by Gopi as the Naupath elephant. Mahendra, Lakshmi, Srirama, Chaitra, Sugreeva, Ekalavya and Srikanta followed. Shivakumar offered floral tributes to the elephants, including Abhimanyu.

As Abhimanyu, who had carried the golden howdah six times, arrived, the CM placed his hand on the elephant’s forehead in prayer, caressed its tusks and bowed. The Chief Minister also offered floral tributes to other elephants and fed them sugarcane stalks and sought their blessings. During the procession of tableaux and cultural groups, he also patted two pairs of Hallikar bulls on their heads and sought their blessings.