Abhimanyu Retires from Mysuru Dasara Duties After Turning 60
Mysuru: Celebrated tusker Abhimanyu, the veteran lead elephant of the Mysuru Dasara jumbo squad, will no longer participate in the annual festivities after the Forest Department retired him from Dasara duties following his 60th birthday in April this year.
Abhimanyu’s retirement had been expected due to his age. His name, however, had initially figured in the list of elephants proposed for this year’s Dasara. The department later decided to relieve him of his responsibilities, recognising his distinguished record as the lead elephant and his popularity among thousands of spectators over the years, according to The Hindu report.
Abhimanyu is currently housed at the Mathigodu Elephant Camp near Thithimathi in Kodagu district, within the Nagarahole Tiger Reserve.
The Forest Department selected this year’s Dasara elephants after teams of forest officials and veterinarians assessed their health, fitness, temperament and behaviour. Following the selection process, 12 elephants were finalised, with two others kept as reserves. Forest Minister Ramalinga Reddy released the list in Bengaluru on Tuesday.
The selected elephants are Dhananjaya (45), Mahendra (42), Ekalavya (41), Prashantha (54), Gopi (43), Srirama (41), Sugriva (44), Lakshmi (54), Kaveri (46), Roopa (50), Chaitra (55) and Srikanta (57). Bheema (26) and Harsha (51) have been kept in reserve.
Seven of the selected elephants are from Dubare camp, while three are from Mattigodu, one from Balle and one from Ramapura.
Deputy Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Prabhu Gowda said elephants cannot be used for Dasara duties after crossing 60 years of age. He said the department had faced a similar situation with the late Arjuna, another iconic Dasara elephant.
The successor to Abhimanyu as the lead elephant has not yet been decided. Dhananjaya, Mahendra, Prashantha, Srirama and Sugriva are among those considered capable of taking up the responsibility. The final decision will be made after the elephants begin training for the Jamboo Savari.
If you appreciate our work, please consider supporting us with a donation. You may contribute via Google Pay, PhonePe or Paytm at: 9980855901
To advertise on The Kodagu Express website, kindly call us at 9108795369 or mail us at thekodaguexpress@gmail.com
Join The Kodagu Express WhatsApp Group: CLICK HERE
Follow us on Instagram and X(Twitter)
I played Block Blast while my computer finished creating low-resolution copies of a folder of videos. The last thumbnail appeared before I could place my next block.