The stage is set for the famed Jamboo Savari — with caparisoned elephants in the lead — that marks the culmination of Dasara in Mysuru on Friday.
The Jamboo Savari will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on the palace premises at 12.30 p.m., while Governor Vajubhai R. Vala will inaugurate the torchlight parade at the Bannimantap Grounds at 7 p.m.
Though a low-key affair this year, with cultural programmes restricted to the palace, and popular variety shows cancelled to commiserate with the farmers reeling under drought, the elephants have their task cut out, their role and protocol well-established, for which they have geared up.
The Nishane and Naupat elephants carrying the royal insignia will take the lead to set the caravan rolling from the Amba Vilas Palace. After them will be the cultural troupes and the tableaus.
Though the Vijayadashmi procession has evolved as a spectacle to showcase the cultural diversity and progress of the State in various spheres, the folk artistes will be drawn from the district to underline the low-key Dasara.
The cynosure of all eyes will be elephant Arjuna, who will carry the golden howdah on his back. People in tens of thousands line up to witness this spectacle all along the procession route.
For the people of Mysuru and surrounding areas, the imagery of Jamboo Savari has less to do with cultural troupes and more to do with the spectacle of the elephant carrying the idol of Goddess Chamundeshwari, who is worshipped as the presiding deity of the region.
The elephants — some of them veterans of Mysuru Dasara — have been trained for a month to put up a grand show, and they are in fine fettle, according to Deputy Conservator of Forests Karikalan. The rehearsal to familiarise the elephants with the procession route, besides acquainting them with the crowd and noise, culminated on Tuesday, and they are being rested for two days. “There will be Ayudha Puja on Thursday, followed by a health check-up of the elephants, after which the line up will be finalised,” according to Mr. Karikalan. The police band and the armed personnel, who will be part of the procession, have completed rehearsals and will take centre stage on Friday.
