Dasara celebrations: CM to chair meet today, list of 12 jumbos drawn up

Mysuru: The preparations for Dasara festivities this year will begin with the Dasara high power committee meeting led by CM H,D, Kumaraswamy which will be held on Tuesday in Mysuru.

The principal chief conservator of forests has approved the participation of 12 elephants in the Dasara jumbo savari procession this year. The department has approved the participation of 58 year old Arjuna from Balle camp who carried the 750 kg golden howdah for 7 years, 60 year old Balarama who carried the howdah for 13 years from Maththigodu camp, Abhimanyu, Gopalswamy, Varalakshmi, Drona from Maththigodu camp. From the Dubare camp at Madikeri forest division, jumbos Cauvery, Vijaya, Vikrama, Gopiand Dananjaya, will participate. Chaithra from Bandipur wild life reserve will also join them.

The date for Gajapayana- the flagging off of journey of Dasara elephants from Nagapura tribal hamlet near Nagarhole, to the heritage city, Mysuru, and the date for welcoming them traditionally at the Mysuru palace courtyard, will be decided at the high power committee meeting on Tuesday. Also several major decisions like who will be given the honour of inaugurating this year’s Dasara and the scale of celebrations will be decided at the meeting on Tuesday.