Dasara preparations are in full swing in the Karnataka. On Monday, Balarama, set off on a ceremonial journey from Veerana Hosahalli to Mysore.
Dasara preparations are in full swing in the state. On Monday, Balarama, along with Abhimanyu, Gajendra, Arjuna, Mary, and Sarala, set off on a ceremonial journey from Veerana Hosahalli to the palace city of Mysore. The six have been entrusted with one noble task each.
Balarama, the leader, is what poet John Donne would call, ‘Nature’s great masterpiece’ and ‘the only harmless great thing’. An elephant, who has been leading the Dasara parade for years, he will carry the golden howdah from Lakshmivilas Palace to Bannimantap, during Vijayadashami.
Abhimanyu will pull the chariot of the royal musical ensemble (sangeeta goshti) and Gajendra will be the king’s special escort (pattada aane of maharaja); Arjuna will be the guide elephant; Mary and Sarala will be support elephants who will accompany Balarama while he carries the howdah.
Decked in dazzling silk and satin, these majestic animals were a visual treat to the villagers of Veerana Hosahalli. Having been lodged only a few kilometres away from the village, the elephants had regularly paid a visit with their mahouts, much to the enjoyment of the children.
This has resulted in the villagers showing special fondness for the pachyderms. The villagers showered the elephants with flowers and fed them jaggery and rice mixed with bananas. The Veerana Hosahalli inhabitants even erected a large arch to give the animals a grand send-off.
Over 100 members of the Stree Shakti groups from nearby villages too had flocked to see the elephants. Folk artistes performed Kamsale, Puja Kunitha and Dollu Kunitha.
The folk dance group from the Tibetan settlement in Gurupura also joined the local artistes. People were enthralled to see the six majestic animals get into their individual trucks, which will ferry them to Mysore.
On reaching Mysore, the animals were lodged in the elephant enclosure at Aranya Bhavan at Ashokapuram.
Chief conservator of forests BJ Hosmath said that the elephants will be taken care of by the forest department and will be shifted to Mysore Palace stables on August 11. The city too will give these elephants a grand, civic reception.
This journey of the elephants is the first event of the Dasara calendar, commemorating the festival. The second batch of elephants, Srirama, Kanthi, Kokila, Harsha and Vikram, will be brought to Mysore a week later.
In the meantime, Balarama will do some weight lifting, as he has to bear the golden howdah.
A host of civic and administrative leaders of Mysore district, including MP of Mysore H Vishwanath, Karnataka Housing Board chairman GT Devegowda, MLCs Chikkamadu and G Madhusudhan, deputy commissioner PS Vastrad, police superintendent Manish Karbikar, police commissioner Sunil Agarwal, and mayor Pushpalatha Chikkanna were present on the occasion.
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