Karnataka Shivamogga Dasara Elephant Rampage News: During the Dussehra procession in Karnataka’s Shivamogga, an elephant named Somananna suddenly became uncontrollable and caused a huge commotion. A silver harness weighing around 650 kg was placed on the elephant’s back. An atmosphere of fear spread among the people as the elephants started running on the roads in a frenzy. People started running here and there to save their lives. It has been reported that vehicles and buildings were also damaged in the incident.
As the elephant got out of control, Ambadi fell on the road
During the Dussehra procession, Somananna suddenly became agitated and started running on the roads. In the meantime, the 650 kg silver weight placed on his back fell down. Ambadi is a decorative seat placed on the back of an elephant in religious and traditional processions.
As the elephant became uncontrollable, the people present in the procession ran away. Veterinarians administered an anesthetic to the elephant to bring it under control. On the other hand, police personnel made efforts to handle the panicked crowd and bring the situation under control.
Elephant treatment in the temple premises
Police and forest department officials immediately reached the spot after coming to know about the incident. Superintendent of Police and Divisional Forest Officer of Shivamogga were also present at the spot and monitored the situation.
After the incident, Somananna was kept at the Koti Seetharamanjaya temple. According to the information, the health of the elephant was gradually improving. Necessary steps were taken by the concerned authorities to tame the elephant and monitor its condition.
Order to train elephants for 20 to 30 days from next year
Following this incident, Karnataka Minister Ramalinga Reddy sought the details of the entire incident from the forest department officials. He instructed to take precautionary measures to avoid recurrence of such incidents in future.
Minister Reddy said that the elephants participating in the Jambu ride from next year should be trained for at least 20 days to a month. Besides, he also said to ensure that elephants are properly groomed by experienced mahouts before participating in large gatherings.
Special importance of Dussehra and Jambu Sawai in Karnataka
Dussehra is one of the major festivals of Karnataka. This festival is celebrated to commemorate the victory of Goddess Chamundeshwari over the demon Mahishasura. One of the most well-known Dussehra traditions is the Jambu Sawai held in Mysore.
A golden ambadi is placed on the back of a decorated elephant in this grand ride held on the day of Vijayadashami. A large number of people gather to witness this festival.
The incident in Shivamogga has once again raised questions about the safety of elephants during religious processions, their proper training and crowd management. In order to prevent such incidents from happening in the coming years, it has become necessary to take adequate measures for the proper preparation and protection of elephants.