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Karnataka Today newsletter: Gajapayana of Mysuru Dasara jumbos flagged off from Nagarahole

The Gajapayana (procession of elephants) of the first batch of Dasara elephants to Mysuru was flagged off amidst a traditional ceremony held at Veeranahosahalli Gate in Nagarahole Tiger Reserve on August 21. Nine caparisoned elephants, led by Abhimanyu, will reach Mysuru in separate trucks. They will camp at the Aranya Bhavan in Mysuru for the next two days. On August 23, they will be accorded a traditional welcome at the palace.

After going through the profile of the elephants from Dubare, Mattigodu, Ramapura, Bheemakatte, and Doddaharave camps, the Forest Department chose 18 elephants, and 14 will be part of the famed festivities. Among them, Varalakshmi of Bheemanakatte camp is the oldest (68 years old), while Rohit from Ramapura camp is the youngest (22 years). Abhimanyu, the howdah elephant, is heaviest and weighs around 5,000 kilos, while Prashant stands the tallest at three metres.

Elephants for Mysuru Dasara, their mahouts and kavadis have been insured for a whopping sum of ₹2.5 crore. Besides the elephants that are going to be part of the Dasara festivities, forest officials and the staff who are associated with the management and training of elephants are also covered under the insurance.

Deputy Conservator of Forest (Mysuru wildlife division) Prabhu Gowda said all 14 elephants, including four on standby, have been insured for a sum of ₹50 lakh. The total insured sum of elephants, mahouts, kavadis, their families, forest officials and staff is around ₹2.5 crore.

The Government of Karnataka has provided a bulletproof SUV for Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, over security concerns. It can be recalled that the ruling Congress recently launched an agitation against the Governor’s decision to sanction prosecution of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the alleged scam at Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA).

“The office of the governor asked for a bulletproof vehicle to be given to him, in light of recent threats of protests and provocative statements against him. The governor is entitled to a bulletproof vehicle, but Mr. Gehlot had not been using the same. Now that his office requested it, we have provided the same,” a senior police official told The Hindu. 

Bannerghatta Biological Park, in association with Azim Premji University and All Living Things: Environmental Film Festival (ALT EFF), are hosting Jana Vana, a five-day festival of Forest, Wildlife and People, from August 22 to 26.