Mysuru: Dasara tusker Mahendra, who was being trained to carry the Golden Howdah during the Dasara procession, has been ruled out of the role after failing to complete the 5km walk from Mysuru Palace to Banni Mantap carrying a wooden howdah.With experienced Abhimanyu resting from the responsibility of carrying the Golden Howdah this year, selecting his successor has become challenging, with only two weeks remaining for the Dasara procession. The howdah elephant has to move through a sea of devotees during the Oct 21 procession, making its temperament and comfort crucial to successfully completing the task.The 42-year-old elephant from Balle Elephant Camp in Nagarahole Tiger Reserve was one of the five tuskers being trained for the demanding role. However, he has now been excluded from consideration after showing reluctance to carry the wooden howdah during the 5km rehearsal route for the second time.Deputy conservator of forests (wildlife) IG Prabhugouda said Mahendra would not be considered for the role of the howdah elephant. “Mahendra is not comfortable carrying the howdah. If an elephant is uncomfortable, we cannot force it to continue. Its safety and well-being are our priority,” he said.The officer added that no visible health issues had been found, although a detailed medical examination was underway to rule out any internal problems.Prabhugouda said the other four tuskers under training — Dhananjaya, Prashantha, Sugreeva and Ekalavya — are ready for howdah duty, and one among them will be selected to carry the Golden Howdah.As part of the training, forest officials use a wooden howdah. On Thursday, the wooden howdah, along with sandbags and other paraphernalia weighing about 1,000kg, had to be removed midway near KR Hospital Junction after Mahendra began the trek from the palace premises. The load was later transported back to the palace in a goods vehicle, a rare occurrence in recent Dasara history.The rehearsal began at the palace premises around 5pm, with Mahendra proceeding along the designated route towards Banni Mantap. However, he showed signs of reluctance at several points along the way. He first stopped near the entrance to KR Circle and remained stationary for more than 10 minutes. After being coaxed by his mahout, he resumed walking but stopped again a few metres ahead and remained there for another 10 minutes.As the elephant appeared uncomfortable, forest officials decided to discontinue the rehearsal as a precautionary measure.
