Dasara elephants bid adieu to the city on Sunday and headed back to their respective jungle camps after having shored up the festivities with their presence.
A regular at the Mysuru Dasara and lending a dash of charm, the caparisoned elephants tend to be the cynosure of all eyes at the Vijayadashami procession; in particular the elephant which carries the idol of goddess Chamundeshwari placed in the 750 kg golden howdah to witness which people in thousands make a beeline to Mysuru.
The gentle giants led by the howdah elephants Arjuna and Balarama were accorded a ceremonial farewell that included a special prayer for their safe departure and collective welfare. Having performed puja complete with ‘Ashtothara’, the elephants received jaggery and sugarcane.There were a considerable number of locals who had come to see off the elephants. The elephants have been camping on the place courtyard since the first week of September.
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