BENGALURU: The 11-day Mysore Dasara festivities concluded with the jumbo savari (elephant procession), on Vijayadashmi day, in Mysuru city on Thursday wherein caparisoned tamed elephant Abhimanyu marched carrying golden howdah weighing 750-kg to a jam packed thoroughfare of city covering a distance of about 4.5 km from Mysore Palace premises to Bannimantap. The jumbo savari procession started at around 4.40 pm as per the fixed auspicious time.
Abhimanyu, decorated with organic paints, carried the golden howdah for the sixth time in a procession which took about 2-hours to cover the distance from its starting point Mysore Palace to Bannimantap. Earlier, the Dasara festivities were inaugurated by writer/activist Banu Musthaq, winner of International Booker Prize-2025 atop Chamundi Hills in Mysuru on September 22.
In the procession, Abhimanyu was flanked by female elephants-Kaveri and Roopa. Along the procession route, people occupied vantage points to catch the best view of the elephants’ march on the road. Many along with their family members reserved their seats in the morning and remained unmoved from their positions until they caught the sight of Abhimanyu passing in the procession.
Inside the Palace premises, a dais was set-up for Chief Minister Siddaramaiah among other dignitaries including Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, Mysuru incharge and Minister of Social Welfare Dr H.C. Mahadevappa, scion of erstwhile Mysore royal family and Lok Sabha member Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, Deputy Commissioner Lakshmikanth Reddy to shower flower petals to kick start the jumbo savari.
Initially, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah showered flower petals to the idol of Goddess Chamundeshwari mounted on golden howdah carried by Abhimanyu. The golden howdah carrying Abhimanyu marched on the designated route covering-Krishnarajendra roundabout (circle), Sayyaji Rao road, Highway roundabout (circle) to Nelson Madela road in Bannimantap and the procession culminated at Torchlight parade ground premises.
Prior to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah showering flower petals on the Goddess Chamundeshwari idol, he offered puja to ‘Nandi dwaja’ near Kote Anjaneya Swamy temple at around 1.10 pm. Customary cannon salute was given prior to the start of the jumbo savari.
As many as 58 tableaux took part in the procession while various cultural teams from different parts of the State enthralled the spectators seated on either side of the roads on the designated procession route.
Forest officials had made elaborate arrangements for a hassle-free procession and each of the jumbos going in the procession had a mahout and two caretakers. Besides, darting teams were kept ready to be pressed into action if the situation needed.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah termed the Dasara festivities conducted in “grandeur” and thanked officials concerned/Ministers/ MLAs in making the Dasara festivities a grand success.