MYSURU: Gajapayana, an event to extend traditional welcome to elephants for Dasara has brought festive mood to the woods with thousands witnessing the event.
Gajapayana was started in 2003 at Nagapura Hadi. This has now turned into a mini Dasara-like celebration and a platform for young local talents to exhibit their skills.
Artistes from Tibetan settlement and Ashram school danced to the tune of tribal songs, Tibetan music and popular numbers. Nagapura gate was decorated with buntings and colourful flowers. An arch was set up on the Nagarhole-Hunsur road and hundreds of folk artistes performed.
Schoolgirls dressed in traditional white saree gave poornakumbha welcome to Dasara elephants.
The elephants were welcomed with puja and flowers by District In-charge Minister H C Mahadevappa and other officials. The large gathering was served with obbattu, palav, Mysore pak, laddoo and rice-rasam.