BENGALURU: The forest officials have a new task this year. They are looking for a new tusker to carry the howdah during Dasara festival this year.
Criteria: Must have good looks, be appealing, should be tall and majestic. And also should be calm, with no past history of killing any elephant or mahout. The tusker should have no injuries or marks on his body.
With Arjun, the howdah-carrying Dasara elephant soon to lead a retired life, the forest department and Mysuru Dasara committee, have started to train the second-in-line elephants to keep the state’s Naada Habba (state’s festival) alive. Of the over 100 elephants resting in various forest department camps in Karnataka, the department has chosen 36-year-old Dhananjay, for his appearance and temper. as the next suitable candidate who can replace Arjun is now 59 years old.
On Wednesday at the Gajapayana, the traditional march of the chosen Dasara elephants from their jungle camp to Mysuru for Dasara festival, four tuskers will be showcased to people. Arjun (59), Abhimanyu (53), Dhananjay (36) and Eswar (49).
The forest department will send 14 elephants in batches as against 12 of last year for the Dasara festival this year. Though Dhanjay is the youngest among all, the officials consider him ideal. This is because Abhimanyu is also getting old. Just like Abhimanyu is a suitable replacement for Arjun, Dhananjay is the next who falls in line.
This time, instead of making Arjun practise alone for 40 days carrying the wooden howdah for the grand Jumboo Savari on October 8, the officials will make all four tuskers do it in turns, said Alexander, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Mysuru. The experience and talent of Arjun (also known as AK 47) will be put to best use in training the young tuskers.
“Four elephants and their mahouts will undergo rigorous training to carry the howdah and walk the route. Though normally it takes tuskers around four years to fall in line and be perfectly ready for Dasara, but looking at Arjun’s age and experience, the training time can be cut short. Dhananjay is the next promising candidate, second in line of trained elephants,” veterinarian Dr D N Nagaraj, holding charge of Dasara elephants, told TNIE.
Dhananjay was captured from Alur in Hassan, one of the most conflict-prone areas for elephants. He was relocated to Dubare, where he stays with Eswar. Dhananjay beat his competitors Gopi (38) and Gopalaswamy (38), who had participated in Dasara last year. While Gopi is in masth, Gopalaswamy’s mahout has changed and the two are taking time to get to know each other.