MYSURU: With the Dasara festivities coming to a close, the Dasara elephants were given a ceremonial farewell at the Mysuru Palace as they left to their respective camps on Sunday.Out of the twelve elephants, three from the Dubare Camp will, however, leave only on Monday after Vijayadashami rituals at the palace.
In the farewell that was organised by the District Administration, traditional rituals were performed for the elephants by the palace priests in the presence of Tourism Minister Sa Ra Mahesh and Deputy Commissioner Abhiram G Shankar, after which the elephants were guided on to the trucks and sent to their camps.
Along with the elephants and their mahouts and kavadis, three veterinarians, three Ane Zamindars, six special mahouts, seven cooks specialised in cooking food for the elephants as well as eight security personnel also left the temporary camp at the palace premises. Three elephants -- Vikrama, Gopi and Vijaya -- will leave only on Monday after the Vijayadashami rituals inside the Palace.
"The jumbos did not cause any trouble. They are leaving the city in good health," said Dr Nagaraj, the
official veterinarians of the elephants.As the elephants left the palace through the Jayamarthanda Gate, many people had crowded up to see the elephant for the last time until they come back for next year's Dasara.