By S.N. Venkatnag Sobers
The main attraction of Dasara is the grand procession which is held on the day of Vijayadashami (Sept. 30). This year, Arjuna, will lead the procession by carrying the Golden Howdah (Chinnada Ambari) with the statue of Goddess Chamundeshwari installed upon it. The elephants, which live in their respective forest camps, arrive in Mysuru in two groups. They are brought to Mysuru to get acclimatised to the weather conditions and also to the Jumboo Savari route which starts from Mysore Palace and ends at Bannimantap Grounds. The City Police also conducts rehearsals of the cannon firing to make the elephants get used to the bombarding sound of the cannons. The elephants, to Mysuru, are accompanied by their respective Mahouts and Kavadis, who come with their family members. This year, Gajapayana, the journey of elephants from the forest to city, was held from Nagapura, instead of Veeranahosahalli, near Nagarahole National Park in Hunsur. The jumbos are offered traditional puja before they start their journey. Earlier, the elephants were made to walk the entire route, but since a few years they are brought to Mysuru in trucks. The elephants in their respective camps are served with rich nutritious food to keep them in perfect health condition for the Dasara festival. They are fed rice, groundnut, coconut, jaggery and sugarcane with some salt to add taste to the diet after they return from their regular rehearsals. This food is served twice a day. They also get branch fodder like banyan leaves. Extra care is taken while serving food to the jumbos. High-calorie and protein-rich food is served to the elephants to improve their physical fitness. They carry a lot of weight at the procession and for that, they need strength. Hence they are fed with rich food. The food served in the morning is laced with pure butter for flavour.
