Curtains down on grand Dasara, celebratory mood lingers on

MYSURU: With the conclusion of the famed Mysuru Dasara procession on Wednesday, it’s curtains on the 10-day-long festivities. The elephants that took part in the procession are in a relaxed mood at the palace premises before they head back home to the forest.

The procession idol of Goddess Chamundeshwari being carried by priests.

The howdah elephant Abhimanyu, who was carrying it for the third time, won praise from all sections for his composure. The star elephant carried the howdah within the palace premises for the last two years to due Covid-19 restrictions.

After one-and-half months of training, the elephants were in a relaxed mood on Thursday.

Abhimanyu’s mahout Vasant said, “I had never seen this kind of crowd. With the blessings of Goddess Chamundeshwari, everything went off smoothly. All the elephants reached Bannimantap without any hiccups”.

The howdah elephant Abhimanyu.

On Thursday, long queues of devotees were seen at Chamundi Hills and, with the lighting around the city to continue for 10 more days, thousands of visitors, both domestic and international, continue to stay on in the city.

Other elephants relaxing at the stables on the palace premises.

With the Chamundeshwari car festival slated to be held on Sunday, more devotees are expected to arrive in the city.

Preparations are on for the Chamundeshwari car festival on Sunday.