Mysuru: Abhimanyu & co accomplish another jumbo task day after palace show

Mysuru: A day after Dasara jumbo savari procession, Abhimanyu, the veteran elephant, who accomplished with ease and majesty his weighty role of carrying Goddess Chamundesheari seated in the 750-kg golden howdah during the mega show on Monday, performed another worthier task on Tuesday morning. He participated in a minor operation to shift a female elephant and its calf from Mysuru Zoo to a rescue and rehabilitation centre at Koorgalli in the city.

Along with Abhimanyu and Gopi who performed the role of Nauphath in the palace procession, were taken from the Mysuru Palace courtyard where they are staying, to Mysuru Zoo at 5.30 am on Tuesday. They helped the female elephant and its calf climb lorry to be shifted to the rehab centre, according to Dr D N Nagaraj, veterinarian in-charge of Dasara elephants.

Abhimanyu has been known for several major forest department operations to capture more than 100 wild elephants and over 20 tigers that strayed into forest peripheries in Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and others.

After accomplishing the task, they returned to the palace around 10 am and joined their mates Vikrama, who performed the role of Nishaane elephant, and female companions Vijaya and Cauvery, who equally performed their roles successfully with all majesty.

Meanwhile, Mysuru district in-charge minister S T Somashekar offered poojas to all the five Dasara elephants, as a gesture of gratitude. He fed them sugarcane and jaggery. He congratulated the men behind the show DCF Alexander M G and Dr Nagaraj, who trained the elephants in just 22 days and completed the task successfully. He also thanked all mahouts and Kaavaadis for leading the "gentle giants" and ensuring they performed their roles with all composure in the procession. And on behalf of the district administration and Mysuru Palace board, Mr Somshekar handed over honorarium of Rs 10,000 each to caretakers.

On its part, the forest department arranged lunch for the caretakers of the Dasara elephants.

DC pulls chariot

Mysuru DC Rohini Sindhuri pulled the chariot of Goddess Chamundeshwari at Chamundi hills on Monday. Asked if it was a thanksgiving by her for completing the mega task successfully, temple sources said that, "Utsava of the Goddess around the temple happens on all 10 days of Dasara. When she came to the temple at the time of the Utsava she wanted to pull to the chariot," they said.

City illumination to continue till Nov 1

Mr S T Somashekar said that 50 percent of illumination of the city will continue till November 1. According to CESC (Chamundeswari Electricity Supply Corporation limited) sources, the illumination will cover 25 kms in the heart of the city including Sayyaji Rao road, around Mysuru Palace, JLB road, Mysuru Bengaluru road and Chamundi hills road. The illumination will require 1500 units (Kilowatt-hour) of electricity for two hours per day. They are spending over Rs 4 crore CESC funds for the illumination from October 17 to November 1.