By M.T. Yogesh Kumar
The Nada Habba (Dasara) celebrations is a vibrant assortment of cultural events and procession, but it is truly incomplete without the majestic Jumboo Savari. For the last fifteen years, Hunsur-based make-up artist and art teacher, Nagalingappa Chandrappa Badiger has been embellishing all the 12 elephants that take part in Mysuru’s famous Jumboo Savari. The make-up artist also embellishes the leader of the elephant group, the one and only Arjuna, who is given the responsibility of carrying the coveted 750-kg Golden Howdah. Since six years, Arjuna and his troupe have never failed to mesmerise the spectators with their majestic walk with costumes and facial charisma. Nagalingappa is currently working as a Fine Arts teacher at Panchavalli Government School of Periyapatna Taluk, Mysuru. In spite of holding a full-time job, he has been keeping the tradition of “decorating” these majestic elephants during Dasara fest. Nagalingappa Badiger basically hails from Kurthakoti village of Gadag district and holds a Diploma in Drawing and Painting. He received the job offer of decorating the Dasara elephants, while he was working as an Art teacher at Vyjayanthi Art School and since then, he has been continuing his amazing work of beautifying the Dasara elephants with the support of his brothers Arun and Narayan, maternal Uncle Ravindra and his associates Madhusudan and Lokesh. “Painting, drawing and facial make-up for these gentle giants is not an easy task. It is an arduous job to draw and paint them as they generally don’t stand still while the art work is being carried out. The elephants keep moving around, raising their huge trunks and twitching their giant ears and tiny tails while drawing and colouring them,” says Nagalingappa Badiger. He and his five associates caught the attention of the public recently, with their aesthetically-alluring makeup they had done to the elephants for the Cultural Procession.
