Will Jamboo Savari face roadblock?

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, all eyes are on govt. stand on scale of Mysuru Dasara

Even as the unrelenting COVID-19 pandemic and the flood situation in the State has cast a shadow on Mysuru Dasara-2020, the State government’s stand on the scale of the festivities is closely awaited.

But the decision is expected to be deferred with the key Ministers of the Cabinet and some local MLAs contracting the infection and isolating themselves. In a normal year, by August, a lot of groundwork would be underway.

The Dasara high-power committee, the top decision making body on the festivities, is headed by Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, who has just been discharged after undergoing treatment for COVID-19. Minister in-charge of Mysuru district S.T. Somashekar, who was also under treatment for COVID-19, said he has recovered from the infection and his lab reports have been negative.

Usually, Dasara elephants are brought to Mysuru at least 45 days before the festivities to prepare them for Jamboo Savari, the Dasara finale. Even as there are indications of a low-key festivities amidst spike in infections, there has been no communication from the government so far on this.

With social distancing and sanitisation being the new normal besides bar on public gatherings, the government’s position on Dasara is closely watched. As the government is fully occupied in COVID-19 and flood management, the decision may be delayed though the forest authorities recently sought clarity on the Dasara elephants.

Usually, elephants are selected for the Dasara duty well ahead of time. Barring the veterans, a few new ones are selected to the jumbo team every year to train them for the future. After the selection, the jumbos arrive in two batches in different intervals, and undergo rehearsals daily here.

Sources in the Forest Department told The Hindu that instructions from the government were awaited on when to bring the elephants that are presently at their respective jungle camps. “The decision seems to have been deferred for the time being with the focus on handling floods situation,” they add. The forest authorities had written to the Deputy Commissioner, Mysuru, seeking directions on Gajapayana (elephants’ journey from jungles) among other things.

Confining the Jamboo Savari to the palace premises instead of a full-fledged procession, in the wake of the pandemic, rests on the government’s final call. In the past, the festivities had been scaled down when the State was in the grip of drought and floods.

A senior forest official said: “There is still time and training is possible even if the decision is taken by this month-end. Last year, we had only 45 days and we successfully trained the jumbos.”