Every year, during the Dasara festival, a grand procession is undertaken from the Mysuru Palace to the Bannimantap Parade Grounds. The chief attraction of this parade is an elephant decked out in splendour, carrying the golden howdah.
The howdah started out as a structure originally meant for Mysuru’s kings to ride in. However, the Mysuru maharaja stopped riding in them in 1969. Even so, the elephants never stopped carrying it. This year, a new elephant replaced the old one, and the tradition continues.
But first, before the parade, the elephants undertake a journey from the forests. Here is how it begins.
However, it did not always have a king in it. Over the years, the howdah’s occupant has changed.
The bearers
Even as occupants of the howdah changed, elephants continued carrying the weight. For over a century, several elephants have taken up the mantle and carried the golden howdah through Mysuru’s streets. In this illustrious lineage of Dasara elephants, each one has made distinct contributions. Explore them in the section below.
A fitting adieu
Mysuru’s Dasara elephants are no less decorated after the procession than during it. Their passing is mourned deeply by their mahouts, and the State pays high honours.
