Mysuru Dasara organisers have selected Prashantha, an elephant from the Dubare camp, to carry the golden howdah and lead the Jamboo Savari on Vijayadashami on October 21. The announcement was made by district in-charge minister Dr Yathindra Siddaramaiah at a press conference at the Palace Board office on Wednesday.
Prashantha’s selection follows the decision to remove Abhimanyu from the golden howdah duty this year because of his age. Abhimanyu had carried the golden howdah and led the procession for the past six years. His replacement had been keenly awaited ahead of this year’s Dasara celebrations.
Prashantha was selected from a group of elephants that included Dhananjaya, Sugriva, Mahendra and Ekalavya. The selection process also considered Mahendra’s previous performance while carrying the wooden howdah. The elephant had failed to reach Bannimantap on two occasions while performing that duty and was subsequently excluded from consideration for the golden howdah role, according to the report.
Dhananjaya has been designated as the reserve elephant for the golden howdah. Abhimanyu will participate as the banner elephant, while Gopi has been assigned the role of the naubat elephant. Kaveri and Roopa will serve as kumki elephants, which are used to support and guide other elephants during organised operations. The remaining elephants will participate as elephants in the procession line.
The selection establishes the main animal roles for the Jamboo Savari, the central public procession of Mysuru Dasara. The golden howdah remains the focal element of the event, and the choice of a new lead elephant marks a change after Abhimanyu’s six-year tenure. The decision also places responsibility on the reserve and support elephants to be ready for the procession’s operating requirements.
The announcement was attended by minister Basavantappa, Mysuru deputy commissioner Lakshmikanta Reddy, Forest Department chief conservator Ravishankar, deputy conservator of forests I.B. Prabhugowda and range forest officer Yashma Machamma. Their presence reflects the coordination between the district administration, the Palace Board and the Forest Department in organising the elephant contingent for the Dasara procession.
The Jamboo Savari is scheduled to take place on October 21, the day of Vijayadashami. Prashantha will carry the golden howdah during the procession, with Dhananjaya retained as the reserve and the other selected elephants assigned their announced roles.
