The gentle giants from the jungle camps who trained for more than 45 days for the grueling Dasara procession walked away with honours and were the showstoppers during the Jamboo Savari held here on Wednesday.
The elephants – decked in sparkling finery and artistically decorated – marched with aplomb from the Amba Vilas Palace to the Bannimantap Grounds leading the Dasara procession.
After the completion of the Nandi Dhwaja Puja by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, the elephants led by Arjuna began their stately march signaling the beginning of the Vijayadashmi procession.
Elephant Arjuna was followed by Mahendra, Dhananjaya, Gopalswamy, Gopi and Bhima. The mahouts and the kaavadis or the assistants carried the royal umbrella and as the elephants set off, they were greeted by thunderous applause all along the route.
The elephants raised their trunk as if to salute the crowd which won them a standing ovation and on emerging from the Palace Gate north, the elephants walked past a large crowd on both sides of the road to reach the Chamaraja Circle and the K.R.Circle from where they hit the road to the Bannimantap Grounds.
The cultural troupes including the tableaux followed the first batch of six elephants and Abhimanyu, who carried the golden howdah with the idol of goddess Chamundeshwari, was accompanied by Kaveri and Chaitra to constitute the rear of the procession of elephants.
