Mysuru: Dasara elephants given warm welcome at Palace

Mysuru: Elephant team is major attraction of grand Dasara festival. On Thursday morning Dasara elephant team of 8 jumbos were given warm welcome at Mysuru Palace. The Dasara jumbos had arrived in Mysuru from Veeranahosalli on September 13 and were camping at Aranya Bhavan. The jumbos, spearheaded by captain Abhimanyu, were given a grand welcome at Marthanda Gate. District In-charge Minister S T Somashekar offered puja to elephants. Chief priest Dr Shashishekar Dikshit also performed traditional puja to the elephants.

The elephants were offered sugarcane, jaggery and coconut and seemed to be enjoying the

attention meted out to them by the district administration. MLAs S A Ramadass, L Nagendra, Mayor Sunanda Palanetra, MUDA chairman H V Rajeev, M Shivanna, N V Phaneesh, L R Mahadevaswamy, M R Krishnappa Gowda, Deputy Mayor Anwar Baig, special officer Dinesh

Gooligowda, Deputy Commissioner Dr Bagadi Gautham, top cop Dr Chandragupta, SP R Chetan, ZP CEO A M Yogeesh, MCC Commissioner Dr Lakshmikanth Reddy, DCCF Karikalan, ADC Dr Manjunathaswamy, Palace Board assistant director Subramanya and others were present.

Ashwathama, who will be taking part in Dasara festivities for the first time, looked a bit hassled by the hustle-bustle. It took some time for the mahout and kavadis to bring it under control.

Speaking to mediapersons district minister S T Somashekar said, "On October 7, Dasara inauguration will be held though the name of the inaugurator is yet to be announced. After the Assembly session, the name will be announced. He said state chief minister Basavaraja

Bommai will choose inaugurator. . We can suggest names but the final decision will be by the Chief Minister."