Mysuru Dasara: Elephant Abhimanyu to lead, carry golden howdah yet again

Bengaluru

The iconic elephant Abhimanyu will once again carry the Golden Howdah during this year’s Mysuru Dasara Jambu Savari (Elephant Procession), announced Forest, Ecology and Environment Minister Eshwar Khandre.

Speaking at Vikas Soudha in Bengaluru, Khandre said that the traditional Gajapayana (elephant march) will commence on August 4 from Veeranahosahalli near Hunsur, officially flagging off the journey of the Dasara elephants toward Mysuru.

He released the first list of nine elephants out of a total of 14 that will participate in the 2025 Dasara celebrations. Leading them will be 59-year-old Abhimanyu, a famed kumki elephant from the Mathigodu camp in Nagarahole, who has been carrying the golden howdah since 2020. The minister noted that Abhimanyu has been part of over 300 elephant capture operations and 80+ tiger capture missions, earning his reputation as a highly skilled and dependable elephant.

Other elephants set to arrive in the first batch include

• Bheema (25, Mathigodu camp)
• Kanjan (24, Dubare camp)
• Dhananjaya (44, Dubare)
• Prashanth (53, Dubare)
• Mahendra (42, Balle camp)
• Ekalavya (40, Doddaharave camp)
• Kaveri (45, female, Dubare)
• Lakshmi (53, female, Balle)

These elephants will reach Mysuru ahead of the festivities, while five more elephants will be brought in from the forests in the second phase. These elephants will be formally and traditionally sent off to Mysuru during the Gajapayana event on August 4, the minister said.

The press briefing was also attended by Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of Forest Force Meenakshi Negi, Chief Wildlife Warden P.C. Ray, and senior officials including Mahesh Shirur, Manoj Kumar, Malathi, and Prabhugowda Biradar.

This year’s preparations for the world-famous Mysuru Dasara have officially begun with the announcement of the participating elephants, setting the stage for another grand celebration.

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