Hey all. It’s the last week of September, which means festivals are near! Mid vacations for schools and colleges and moreover it’s DASARA time. What a joy to be in Mysore to watch those mighty elephants carrying the golden mandapa! It’s simply amazing. It is popular by name ‘JAMBOO SAVARI’. Every year peoples from all parts of the world visit Mysore, India to see this marvellous procession. So let me share you how the elephants are getting trained to make this year’s Dasara a grand success.
On
the day of Dasara a huge, male elephant carries a golden mandapa of 750 kg with
an idol of goddess ‘Chamundeshwari’ in it (earlier kings were taken instead of
idol). The mandapa is famous by the name ‘ambari’. Along with this 11 other
elephants follow him for the procession. The procession starts from Mysore palace to Bannimantap grounds
after a royal pooja by the ‘Wodeyars of Mysore’. The jamboo savari covers nearly
4.5 km. Decorated horses, camels, folk dancers performing street dances, artists
from all over Karnataka performing their talents, tableau representing
monuments of all districts of Karnataka trail back the elephants. Once they
reach Bannimantap grounds ‘banni pooja’ is performed, where the royal couple
worship ‘banni tree’ (Accacia ferruginea).
Later on torch light parade is conducted in the same venue.
A grand salute by Arjuna as soon as he entered Bannimantap grounds.
This
year ‘Arjuna’ is the pride tusker to carry the mandapa, with him two female
elephants will be accompanied. All these elephants are reared in 3 forest ranges
namely, ‘Titimati’, ‘D.B. Kuppe’ and ‘Dubare’. Each elephants have their own
‘mahouts’ (people who rides elephants) and the elephants recognize their
caretakers very well. Arjuna is carrying the ambari for the 7th
time and he has mastered it now. He will be decorated in silk cloth and fresh
flowers on the day of Dasara.
For practicing he will be tied with iron frame
and 750 kg sand bags on this back. Every morning after his bath himself and the
other elephants walk all the way from Mysore palace to Bannimantap grounds.
After
reaching the Bannimantap grounds, tuskers will drink water from the pool which
is 7 feet deep and take a small shower.
I enjoy watching them playing in water
every morning since Bannimantap is very closer to my place. Localities gather
in groups to watch those tuskers playing.
Amidst of these, people with corn
feet keep stamping on the elephants’ poop. Elephants’ poop is the remedy for
many feet infections, corn feet, leg pain, fever etc. People follow elephants’
foot steps to collect their poop to use it as home medicines and some worship
it as well. “Every year people come to Bannimantap grounds to stamp poop and
get healed” says Kammalamma (nearby resident).
Chaitra carrying sand bags
Varalaksmi,
Chaitra, Vijaya and Kaveri are the female elephants who walk next to ‘Arjuna’.
Any two of these female elephants will be made to stand beside him, one on his
either side.
Drona, Abhimanyu, Balarama, Gopi, Prashanth, Dhananjay and
Rajendhra are the names of the other male elephants. Elephants are taken
special care in the palace ground for the rest of the day.
They will be served
with grasses twice a day. Nutritious food will be supplied along with the
grasses.
Food is prepared in a very clean and hygienic place.
Once in a day, meal prepared with red rice, horse gram powder, jaggery
(cane sugar) and salt is served. On the day of Dasara, an energetic meal
prepared with avalakki (beaten rice), coconut, jaggery, glucose and sugar is
served on every circle during the procession says Doddappajii (Elephant care
taker).
Elephants’ poops are examined twice a day for any health issues and
proper treatment is given immediately by Dr. Nagaraj the veterinary doctor. The
tuskers are taken very good care by the Forest department and Police department
of Karnataka. So a great grand salute to both the departments for such a royal
care on elephants.
All
the elephants are getting prepared in a sophisticated manner to bring out a
royal success on the world famous Mysore Dasara. I am eagerly waiting to see
the ‘Jamboo savari on 17th of October 2018. So what are you waiting
for? Hurry up! Book your tickets for Mysore as early as possible so that you
don’t miss the royal jamboo savari.
Acknowledgement:
I
would like to offer my special thanks to police department and forest
department for their kind co-operation and for the information provided. My
special thanks are extended to Dr. Nagaraj, Rangaraju, Doddappaji and other
people involved.
An
extra special thanks to all the elephants who nicely posed for my photos.
Arjuna posing with me for a click
Dhrona in Bannimantap grounds
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