With hardly three days left for the grand finale of the Mysuru Dasara celebrations, the rehearsal for the Jamboo Savari to mark Vijayadashami on October 11 got underway in the city on Saturday.
Held in the backdrop of the palace, the authorities pressed in the armed police personnel alongside the Dasara elephants, which have been gearing up for the finale for the past one month.
The armed personnel and mounted police joined the police band. Led by Arjuna, who is slated to carry the 750 kg Golden Howdah, the elephants completed the rehearsal with aplomb, having got acclimatised to the rigours of the schedule that also entails covering the entire procession route of nearly five-km balancing the howdah. For the rehearsal, a wooden howdah was placed on the back of Arjuna, while he will carry the original golden Ambari or the Howdah with the idol of Goddess Chamundeshwari placed inside it for the finale.
Arjuna was accompanied by 11 elephants, marching through the city roads and mainly the procession route to get accustomed to the heat, dust and noise, besides the crowd which will be in full strength on Vijayadashami.
The rehearsal was held for about two hours and will take place again on Sunday while it will be given a break on Monday.
The Jamboo Savari will commence with a puja to Nandi Dhwaja late in the afternoon on October 11. A roll out of the tableaux from different districts is also scheduled.
