12 Dasara elephants, 29 horses from Mounted Police force take part

Mysore/Mysuru: The third and final round of cannon firing drill rehearsal to acclimatise Dasara elephants and Mounted Police horses to the booming sound of cannons was held successfully at the Dasara Expo parking lot on M.G. Road yesterday morning.

Out of 14 Dasara elephants in Captain Abhimanyu’s team, 12 elephants took part and 29 horses from Mounted Police also took part in the final round. Dasara elephants Rohit and Hiranya, who had panicked during the previous rehearsal, were not brought to the rehearsal.

Seven cannons were used to fire 21 shots in three rounds by the Pirangi Dal personnel, during which elephants Sugreeva, Prashanth and Dhananjaya panicked a bit in the first round but remained calm later.

Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) Saurabh Kumar, who spoke on the occasion, said that the final round of cannon firing drill was held successfully. He said that all 14 Dasara elephants were fit and healthy and added that Abhimanyu is all set to carry the 750-kg Golden Howdah during Jumboo Savari.

“Care is being taken to keep the elephants healthy and all are ready to take part in the grand finale,” the DCF added.

A large crowd had gathered to have a glimpse of Dasara elephants and to witness the drill.

Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCPs) M. Muthuraj (Law and Order) and S. Jahnavi (Crime and Traffic), Range Forest Officer (RFO) Santosh Hugar, Veterinarian Dr. Mujeeb Rehman, elephant caretakers Rangaraju and Akram, Mounted Police personnel and others were present.