Forest department wants to know number of elephants needed for Mysuru Dasara fete

Mysuru: The forest department has written a letter to the district administration asking it to specify the number of elephants needed for the upcoming Dasara celebrations. The Mysuru Dasara celebration is known for its grandeur all over the world. Thousands of tourists flock to witness the festivities in October for which preparations start two months earlier.

The main attraction of the State festival is decorated jumbos. Last year celebrations proved a damp squib as the government organised the festivities in a simple manner due to the Covid-19 scare. Twelve elephants participate in the festival every year, but last year the government restricted them to just five. The mahouts, assistants and their families camp in Mysuru for two months to drill the elephants for the grand show. So much meticulous plan goes into the preparation that the government arranges a make-shift classroom for the children of mahouts so that they will not miss out on their education.

The elephants selected for Dasara undergo training for two months.

Speaking to The Hans India, additional deputy commissioner S Manjunatha Swamy confirmed the receipt of a letter from the forest department. He said the decision will be taken after holding a meeting with officials. He said the district administration will consult State government in this regard.

The business community, hospitality industrialists and hoteliers are urging the government to organise a grand Dasara festival to shore up their finances which took a severe beating due to the Covid lockdown and floods in the last two years.