Mysuru : The first batch of six elephants, led by Arjuna, received a traditional reception on arrival at the palace on Monday in preparation for the 10-day Dasara festival to commence from the last week of September. The elephants from the various jungle camps –– Dubare, Mathigodu, and Balle –– reached Mysuru on August 19 and were on Aranya Bhavan campus for some days; they began their stately march through the thoroughfares of the city in the morning. The caparisoned elephants hit the Ashoka Circle from where they marched in a single file along the 100 Ft. Road, crossed the Sanskrit College and reached the Jayamartanda Gate where Arjuna, Abhimanyu, Vijaya, Varalakshmi, Eshwara, and Dhananjaya were received with a guard of honour complete with the police band playing traditional numbers.

A battery of priests performed rituals while Vedic chants were played in the backdrop over the loudspeaker even as the folk artistes complete with their ensemble of drums, awaited the elephants’ slow march into the palace courtyard.

Once the dignitaries, including the district in-charge Minister V. Somanna, Mysuru Pushpalatha Jagannath, other elected representatives, and senior officials of the district administration made floral offerings to the elephants, the formalities were complete and the elephants were ushered into the palace through the main gate.

They were led by folk artistes and the police band while an ensemble of traditional musicians playing nadaswaram formed the rear of the mini-procession.

A large number of tourists who had come to visit the palace saw a photo opportunity in the proceedings that presented a picture-perfect of a bygone era – of caparisoned elephants and mahouts in traditional attire in the foreground and the palace in the background – and merrily clicked away to cherish the moment. On reaching the palace precincts, a second round of prayers followed by showering of flower petals from the top completed the traditional ceremonies of the day.

Arjuna and company then retired to the far end of the palace courtyard, set to be their temporary home till the completion of Dasara on October 8 and their departure to the jungles sometime in the second week of October.