Dasara elephants accorded a warm farewell as they return to their respective jungle camps

Elephant Abhimanyu and company, the showstoppers of Dasara, who attracted lakhs of people during the festival, were accorded a warm farewell from the district administration, here on Sunday.

The 14 Dasara elephants were in the city since August 4 rehearsing for the Vijayadashmi procession which was held on October 2.

The elephants got a two-day break after the end of the festival and spent their time strolling at the palace courtyard, besides gracefully posing for photographs for tourists.

As news spread that the Dasara elephants, who have a huge fan base in Mysuru, were set to depart, a large crowd descended on the palace premises for a glimpse of the jumbos.With restrictions being lifted, the crowd got their wish fulfilled.

The forest department and the district administration had lined up a few more ceremonies for the elephants, some of whom seemed to have got accustomed to the Dasara traditions.

A priest performed aarti for the duly adorned elephants, and chanted special prayers for their collective safety and return for the festival next year. After the formalities were completed, the elephants were offered sugarcane juice and jaggery. The public, too, made offerings to the jumbos.

Following the puja and the aarti, the elephants lined up in the backdrop of the palace, where both the public and the media clicked their photographs. Relishing the attention, the jumbos seemed to nod their head in appreciation; at the command of the mahouts, they frequently raised their trunks as if to bid adieu to the crowd and the city.

Following this, the elephants walked on a tramp to board the trucks waiting to transport them back to their respective jungle camps.

Elephants Abhimanyu, Bheema, and Srikanta returned to Mathigodu camp, whereas Dhananjaya, Prashanth, Kaveri, Gopi, Sugreeva, Kanjan, and Hemavathi headed back to the Dubare camp. Ekalavya was the lone jumbo from the Doddaharave camp; Lakshmi and Mahendra returned to Balle camp, while Roopa was sent back to Bheemanakatte camp.

With the Dasara ceremonials completed for this year, it was time for them to get involved in other duties like combing operations and capturing errant elephants from the wild during a conflict situation.