Karnataka: Elephant carrying howdah panics amid loud noises during Dasara celebrations

During Dasara celebrations in the Srirangapatna area of Mandya, Karnataka on Saturday, an elephant carrying a howdah panicked owing to the loud noises of firecrackers and music. The elephant, however, was largely controlled by the mahouts and kavadis. There were no injuries recorded as a result of the incident. Mysuru Dasara is a ten-day event that begins on Navaratri's first day and ends on Vijayadashami (Dusshera). Mysuru Dasara will begin on October 7 and end on October 15 this year.

Dasara, Navratri, and Vijayadashami are Hindu festivals that commemorate the triumph of good over evil. According to Hindu mythology, Goddess Chamundeshwari (Durga) killed the monster Mahishasura on this day. The demon Mahishasura was slain by the Goddess, giving the city the name Mysuru. During this event, the Mysuru tradition honours warriors and the state fighting for the greater good by ritually worshipping and displaying the state sword, weapons, elephants, and horses, as well as the Hindu Devi goddess in her warrior form (predominantly) and the Vishnu avatar Rama.

Karnataka: During Mysuru Dasara, a howdah carrying elephant panicked due to firecrackers

Mysuru has a long history of lavishly commemorating the Dasara holiday with pomp and circumstance. In 2019, the Dasara celebration in Mysuru celebrated its 409th year, but evidence suggests that the Vijayanagara Empire emperors celebrated the holiday in Karnataka state in the 15th century. The traditional Dasara procession (locally known as Jumboo Savari) takes place on Vijayadashami in Mysore city. The major feature of this procession is the statue of Goddess Chamundeshwari, which is carried on top of a decked elephant on a golden mantapa (weighing roughly 750 kilos of gold). The royal couple and other invited guests worship this idol before it is carried around in a procession. The procession, which begins at the Mysore Palace and ends at Bannimantap, where the banni tree is honoured, includes colourful tableaux, dance groups, music bands, adorned elephants, horses, and camels.

Activist demand to not use elephants during Dasara procession

Activists and campaigners have been putting pressure on the Dasara procession to stop using elephants, which has been controversial. Several terrible occurrences have resulted in the deaths of procession elephants and their handlers, known as mahouts. In 2018, footage from the elephants' training grounds was leaked, showing an elephant wobbling in pain. The footage was deemed heartbreaking by the people, and it was stated that the elephants must go through two months of rigorous training before performing in the procession.

With inputs from ANI

(IMAGE: UNSPLASH)