An expert committee set up by the Karnataka High Court to look into human-elephant conflict in the state has recommended that elephants should be banned from carrying the howdah during the famous Dasara procession in Mysore. The report, to be submitted to the high court on October 1, has recommended that the elephant can be made to pull the howdah, instead of carrying it.

The HC constituted the committee, headed by elephant expert Dr Raman Sukumaran, in January 2010 to find a solution to the human-elephant conflict in the state. The report also has other recommendations that could help mitigate the present crisis. A committee member told Deccan Chronicle that the elephants suffer during the Dasara procession and it’s cruel to make them carry the howdah, which weighs close to 750 kg. Because of the Dasara, the number of captive elephants, especially the tuskers, with the Karnataka government has gone up.

“It’s time we send out a message that wild animals like elephants cannot be put into any hardship, like carrying the howdah. We understand the tradition, and we are not against elephants taking part in Dasara festivities in Mysore. We are of the opinion that banning elephants in Dasara will send a strong message on conservation. Why not make an elephant pull the howdah on a chariot instead of making the animal carry it?” asked the committee member.

This is the third committee that has recommended banning elephants in Dasara. In 2007, a committee of elephant experts and animal welfare NGOs had recommended a complete ban on use of pachyderms during the festivities. After the report, the Dasara Organising Committee reduced the duration of elephant carrying the howdah. In 2010, a Task Force, constituted by Union Forest Minister Jairam Ramesh, had recommended ban on use of elephants in processions and tourism activities.

The ‘mammoth’ charm of Mysore Dasara
The Mysore Dasara, which has a history of over 400 years, and the elephants are synonymous. Though activities inside the Mysore Palace, like religious offerings by members of the royal family and durbar sittings during the Navaratri festivities offered traditional value, it’s the elephants that kept the ‘brand Dasara’ alive. The Mysore Dasara has its roots in Srirangapatna, which was celebrated as the victory parade by Raja Wadiyar I (1578-1617), who conquered Srirangapatna from Sriranga Raya in 1610.

Raja Wadiyar continued with the tradition of holding Dasara festivities, which were started by the Vijayanagara kings. Later, the Wadiyars their base to Mysore and, over the years, turned Dasara into a grand celebration spread over nine days. But the burden of festivities is borne by the elephants, especially the ‘ambari’ elephant that carries 750-kg golden howdah. During princely era, the maharajas used to sit inside the howdah mounted on the elephant on Vijayadashmi Day. But, after state government took over the festivities, the practice of maharajas sitting in the golden howdah was stopped. Instead, an idol of Goddess Chamundeshwari is placed in the howdah during the Jumboo Savari. Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar was the last king to mount in the golden howdah and participate in the procession in 1969.