15 jumbos for this Mysuru Dasara

Mysuru: Forest officials have proposed a list of 15 elephants for Dasara Jumbo Savari in Mysuru this year. They have proposed Dhananjaya from Dubare forest and suggested  withdrawal of 18-year-old Bheema who is considered too young and 56-year-old Krishna who is too old. They have also proposed August 15, 20, 23, 24 and 29 for Gajapayana, which marks the formal beginning of journey of Dasara elephants from Nagapura hamlet near Nagarahole.

Forest officials prefer August 23 for Gajapayana and August 24 for welcoming them at the Mysuru Palace.  The male elephants proposed  include Arjuna, who has carried the 750 kg golden howdah seven times, Balarama, who has carried the howdah 13 times, Abhimanyu, Harsha, Gopi, Gopalswamy, Prashantha, Gajendra, Vikrama, Dhananjaya and Drona, and female elephants Cauvery, Vijaya, Chaithra and Varalakshmi.