The Hindu : Karnataka News : Finding the right one is a challenge

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Friday, Oct 19, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka

Finding the right one is a challenge

R. Krishna Kumar

The kingdom of Mysore had an elephant stable and a department to look after it

— PHOTO: M.A. SRIRAM

STRENUOUS: Helping Dasara elephants familiarise with the festivities is a daunting task.

MYSORE: Caparisoned elephants that carry the golden howdah during “Jamboo Savari” have come to acquire a special status of their own and it is not without reason. For, the task of identifying a suitable elephant has always been a formidable challenge.

The erstwhile kingdom of Mysore, which inherited the practice of Dasara celebrations from the Vijayanagar emperors, had an elephant stable and a department to look after it — something akin to a modern day “Ministry for Elephants”.

Gajashala, as it was called, was responsible for identification of elephants and grooming them for State duties of welcoming VIPs and guard of honour, and for sacred and religious tasks such as participation in car festivals and Dasara.

A detailed catalogue of files and documents pertaining to the activity of Gajashala is at the divisional archives in Mysore. A cursory glance at the documents, correspondence and files of Gajashala from 1880 to 1950 provides interesting information and efforts that went to procure elephants.

Biligiriranga was reckoned to be the favourite of the last Maharaja of Mysore, Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar. Information about Biligiri, as it was popularly called, is preserved in the archives and “Game Preserve Officer” D.N. Neelakanta Rao, who apprised his superiors of Biligiri who was captured on May 2, 1936 from the Biligiriranganabetta in the Yellandur forests, wrote, “In spite of playing all sorts of drums and wind instruments, the tusker did not strain itself in the least. So far, the behaviour of the animal is satisfactory.”

He was 10-foot tall and aged 25 at the time of his capture.

His tusks were 2 ft in length and the documents describe him as a “grand-looking animal”. Basha, a mahout, was put on special duty to look after Biligiri.

Kumki elephants Seetha, Radhapyari, Kaveri and Eshwari were tethered near Biligiri after his capture.

Before Biligiri, there was a crisis. No suitable elephant was around to carry the golden howdah as indicated by a series of correspondence between the officials of Gajashala and Huzur Secretary.

“Selection of an ambari elephant is a difficult problem and the animal should possess good appearance, good temper and be thoroughly reliable,” said a note and Neelakanta Rao was directed to visit Burma and Siam (Thailand) to identify a suitable elephant. But his efforts failed as another letter from the Huzur Secretary told him, “Mr. Neelakanta Rao, you have seen all the elephants in South India, Burma and Assam. But it is not possible to get a correct picture of the elephants from your description. You have to take the responsibility of identifying and selecting the elephant.”

Learning of the palace predicament, A.S. Narayana Namboodri of Cochin State wrote to the Maharaja on July 31, 1930 offering to sell his elephant. He wrote, “I have a big elephant about 10.5 feet in height and it has no bad habits.” But the deal fell through and four other elephants in South India, Ramachandran, Damodaran, Govindan and Kesavan, were also inspected by Neelakanta Rao.

The crisis came about as howdah elephant Pattabhi Raman procured from Tirupati already past its prime and at 70 years, was a risk. The death of State elephant Vijaydevendran in 1925 created a gloom and since then Motilal and Ramprasad were used as “ambari aanes” or howdah elephants. In fact, Pattabhi Raman had been loaded onto a passenger train from Renigunta to Bangalore. A telegram received by the palace read, “Loaded elephant safely. Left Renigunta.”

In more recent years, Drona reigned supreme until his tragic death in 1998 when it was electrocuted. Balarama, which has inherited the sacred task from its predecessors, will be carrying the golden howdah for the eighth time.

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