Mysuru Jamboo Savari today: Prashantha carries golden howdah after Abhimanyu
Representative image: PeterW1950 / Pixabay
On October 21, 2026, elephant Prashantha carries Goddess Chamundeshwari's 750-kg golden howdah in Mysuru's Jamboo Savari, as Abhimanyu, now 60, leads the march.
What Happened
Mysuru Dasara reaches its finale on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, with the Jamboo Savari, the elephant procession that carries the idol of Goddess Chamundeshwari from the Mysuru Palace to the Bannimantap grounds. After six years on Abhimanyu, the 750-kg golden howdah moves to a new elephant. The Karnataka Forest Department has chosen Prashantha, a 54-year-old tusker from the Dubare elephant camp in Kodagu district, to carry it, while Abhimanyu, who has turned 60, walks at the head of the procession as the ceremonial Nishane elephant.
Key Facts
- Date: the Jamboo Savari is on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, which the Mysuru Palace calendar fixes as Vijayadashami, a day after many national calendars marked Dussehra on October 20.
- Timing: the floral tribute to the goddess is scheduled between 4:10 pm and 4:35 pm in the Meena Lagna, according to reports from Mysuru.
- Howdah elephant: Prashantha, 54, from Dubare camp, carries the golden howdah; Dhananjaya is the reserve howdah elephant.
- Abhimanyu carried the howdah at six Dasaras in a row, from 2020 to 2025, and now leads as the Nishane (flag) elephant; Gopi is the Nauphath elephant.
- Two female kumki (escort) elephants, Roopa and Kaveri, walk beside Prashantha.
- Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, at his first Dasara since taking office, is to shower flower petals on the idol, and 21 cannon shots are to be fired during the tribute.
- The route from the palace to Bannimantap is about five kilometres; the torchlight parade at Bannimantap follows in the evening.
Why It Matters
The Jamboo Savari is the closing event of the ten-day Mysuru Dasara, Karnataka's best-known festival. According to tradition, Vijayadashami marks the victory of Goddess Chamundeshwari over the demon Mahishasura. The procession turns that belief into a public ritual: the idol of the goddess rides through the city on the golden howdah, and the elephant chosen to carry it becomes the most watched animal in the state for the day.
The change of howdah elephant is the main story of this year's festival. Abhimanyu became the public face of Dasara over six years. Reports from Mysuru say that Forest Department norms stop elephants from doing heavy work such as carrying the 750-kg howdah once they reach 60, so he has moved to a lighter, ceremonial role at the front of the column. Three elephants trained for the howdah role this season, and Prashantha was finalised only after the training programme ended and the final rehearsals began.
The procession is also a test of animal care. The Dasara elephants are brought from forest camps such as Dubare and spend weeks in Mysuru being fed, trained and rehearsed before the big day. The Forest Department and the mahouts (elephant handlers) who live with them in the palace grounds decide which animal can safely carry the load. Prashantha's mahout is Chinnappa.
Seen from outside Karnataka, the Jamboo Savari is a reminder that Dussehra is not one festival but many. In north India the day is marked by burning effigies of Ravana; in Kullu in Himachal Pradesh it starts a week-long gathering of village deities; in Mysuru it ends a royal festival with an elephant procession devoted to the goddess.
| Role | Elephant |
|---|---|
| Golden howdah carrier | Prashantha (54, Dubare camp) |
| Reserve howdah elephant | Dhananjaya |
| Nishane (flag) elephant | Abhimanyu (60) |
| Nauphath elephant | Gopi |
| Kumki escorts | Roopa and Kaveri |
Impact
Short-term: Large crowds are expected along Sayyaji Rao Road and the route to Bannimantap on Wednesday afternoon, with paid enclosures, free roadside viewing and police traffic restrictions in central Mysuru. Visitors should check the district administration's final programme, since start times depend on the auspicious time set by the palace.
Long-term: A smooth first outing for Prashantha would settle the succession to Abhimanyu for the coming years, and the retirement rule for older elephants is likely to shape how the Forest Department trains younger tuskers for the role.
Who is affected: Devotees and visitors in Mysuru, the mahouts and forest staff who look after the elephants, local traders and hotels that depend on the festival, and the elephant camps in Kodagu and nearby districts.
Key Takeaway
Mysuru Dasara ends on October 21, 2026 with a new howdah elephant, Prashantha, carrying Goddess Chamundeshwari, while the retired Abhimanyu leads the Jamboo Savari for one more year.
Questions and Answers
When is the Mysuru Jamboo Savari in 2026?
The Jamboo Savari is on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, the Vijayadashami day set by the Mysuru Palace calendar. The floral tribute to Goddess Chamundeshwari is scheduled between 4:10 pm and 4:35 pm, after which the procession moves to Bannimantap.
Which elephant carries the golden howdah at Mysuru Dasara 2026?
Prashantha, a 54-year-old tusker from the Dubare camp in Kodagu, carries the 750-kg golden howdah this year. Dhananjaya is the reserve elephant.
Why is Abhimanyu not carrying the howdah this year?
Abhimanyu carried the howdah at six Dasaras from 2020 to 2025 but turned 60 this year, the age at which, according to reports from Mysuru, Forest Department norms bar elephants from heavy work. He leads the 2026 procession as the Nishane elephant instead.
Who offers the floral tribute at the Jamboo Savari?
Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar is scheduled to shower flower petals on the idol of Goddess Chamundeshwari in the golden howdah, his first Dasara since taking office, with 21 cannon shots fired during the tribute.
Disclaimer: Prepared by the Peepals newsroom from publicly available sources with AI assistance. Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication and may change. Images may be representative. Not professional advice. Report an error via our contact page.
Sourced and fact-checked by the Peepals Global Editorial Team
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