Mysuru Dasara elephant training begins with Mahendra carrying 350 kg load
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Mysuru Dasara elephant training has begun with Mahendra carrying a 350-kg load from the palace to Bannimantap, as officials assess the squad’s fitness and readiness.
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Mysuru Dasara elephant training begins with Mahendra carrying 350 kg load
Mysuru: With the countdown to the world-famous Mysuru Dasara festival underway, the elephant squad brought from the forests has intensified its training ahead of the grand Jamboo Savari procession.
The first phase of the weight-bearing exercise for the elephants selected to participate in the Jamboo Savari was formally launched after special prayers and religious rituals at the Mysuru Palace. The training is aimed at preparing the elephants to handle the physical demands of the grand procession.
Mahendra, one of the key elephants in the squad, was selected by forest officials for the first day’s weight-bearing exercise. Around 350 kg of sandbags were securely fastened to Mahendra’s back before the elephant was taken from the main palace courtyard to the Torchlight Parade Grounds at Bannimantap.
Mahendra successfully completed the route while carrying the load without any difficulty. The other elephants in the squad also participated in the first phase of the training and walked in an orderly manner from the palace to Bannimantap.
The weight-bearing exercise is considered crucial to assess the elephants’ capacity to carry loads, physical fitness and ability to respond to instructions from their mahouts. Mahendra completed the first exercise calmly and maintained a steady pace throughout the route.
Besides Mahendra, elephants including Dhananjaya, Ekalavya, Prashantha, Gopi, Srirama, Srikantha, Lakshmi and Kaveri took part in the training. Their disciplined march along the traditional route attracted the attention of people gathered along the way.
The entire training programme was conducted under the guidance of Forest Department DCF Dr Prabhugowda. Officials are closely monitoring the health, diet and mental condition of the elephants and taking precautionary measures to ensure that the squad is fully prepared for the Jamboo Savari.
There is also considerable public interest over which elephant will carry the golden howdah this year following the senior elephant Abhimanyu. Officials said a final decision will be taken only after completing the training and assessing the physical fitness and performance of all elephants in the squad.
