Two days to go: Jumbos ready for Tuesday’s grand finale

Mysuru: With just two days to go for the Jumbo Savari that will bring down the curtains on the Dasara celebrations in the city on Tuesday, the elephants that will walk down the streets on Vijayadashmi Day,  began their final rounds of rehearsals along with 10 platoons of the police at the Mysuru palace grounds Saturday morning.

While Balarama, the nishaane elephant, led at the front, nauphant elephant, Abhimanyu followed. The other jumbos, Eeshwara, Durgaparameswari, Jayaprakash, Dananjaya, Gopalswamy, Lakshmi walked along as saalaanes. Howdah elephant , Arjuna, made an entry  flanked by female elephants Vijaya and Cauvery as the national anthem played and seven brass canons fired  21 rounds.

In place of the Chief Minister, who will offer floral tribute to the statue of goddess Chamundeswari housed in the golden howdah on Vijayadashmi Day, mayor Pushpalatha Jagannath did the honours symbolically on Saturday.

Although elephants Vikrama and Gopi will participate in  the rituals of the royal family, they will later join the procession as it makes its way through Mysuru city .

Also participating in the rehearsal were deputy superintendent of police of the mounted company,  V Shailendra, on his horse, Saangini  10 platoons of 30 police each, home guards and two mounted companies among others.