MYSURU: In a spectacular first blush of Dasara grandeur, nine majestic elephants were accorded a ceremonial welcome at the Mysuru Palace on Sunday evening in a rare after-dark event that added a new glow to the century-old festival. Led by the Captain Abhimanyu, the jumbos received their honours at 6:50 pm in the auspicious Makara Godholi Lagna.
For the first time in recent memory, the palace forecourt echoed with drumbeats and chants under floodlights rather than the morning sun. The Dasara elephants Dhananjaya, Bheema, Mahendra, Kaveri, Kanjan, Prashanth, Lakshmi, and Ekalavya had arrived in the city last Monday from Veeranahosahalli in Hunsur, halting at Aranya Bhavan.