Gaja Payana 2026

The Dasara Elephants

The twelve elephants selected by the Karnataka Forest Department for Mysuru Dasara 2026.

Twelve elephants from the camps of the Karnataka Forest Department take part in Mysuru Dasara 2026. They arrive in Mysuru several weeks before the festival for training. One of them is selected to carry the golden howdah in the Jumboo Savari.

Gaja Payana

Gaja Payana means "the elephants' journey". It is the ceremonial departure of the herd from the forest for Mysuru, begun with a puja at Veeranahosahalli on the edge of Nagarhole. After a short ceremonial walk, the elephants are transported to Mysuru by vehicle so that they arrive rested.

EventDate & muhurta
Gaja Payana: flag-off at Veeranahosahalli, Nagarhole26 August 2026, 10:01 – 10:28 AM (Tula lagna)
Gaja Puja on arrival at the Mysuru Palace28 August 2026, 9:52 – 10:19 AM
Return journey to the forest camps22 October 2026, 10:45 AM – 12:11 PM (Dhanur lagna)

Care and training at the Palace

  • Diet: the elephants receive a supplementary diet prepared by the Forest Department, including rice, ragi, jaggery, coconut, horse gram and green fodder.
  • Route walks: they walk the procession route each morning, so that they become accustomed to crowds, music and traffic.
  • Weight training: the elephant chosen for the howdah is trained with sandbags of increasing weight until it carries a load equal to the 750-kilogram howdah.
  • Veterinary care: a veterinary team of the Forest Department monitors their health throughout their stay.

The herd at a glance

Weight and height of each elephant, as recorded by the Forest Department.

  • Srikanta 5,860 kg
  • Ekalavya 5,800 kg
  • Sugreeva 5,800 kg
  • Dhananjaya 5,280 kg
  • Gopi 5,150 kg
  • Prashantha 5,100 kg
  • Mahendra 4,764 kg
  • Sriram 4,640 kg
  • Roopa ♀3,500 kg
  • Lakshmi ♀3,438 kg
  • Kaveri ♀3,060 kg
  • Chaitra ♀2,988 kg
Weight Height (2.95 m = tallest)

The herd

  • Mahendra
    Salaane (rank) elephant last year

    Balle camp · Male

    Mahendra

    Weight
    4,764 kg
    Height
    2.75 m
    Age
    42 years

    Captured in 2018 in the Ramanagara forests. Calm, sturdy and quick — a trusted Forest Department elephant. First took part in Mysuru Dasara in 2022-23 and carried the wooden howdah at the Srirangapatna rural Dasara that year.

    Mahout: RajannaKavadi: Mallikarjuna

  • Dhananjaya
    Nishane elephant last year

    Dubare camp · Male

    Dhananjaya

    Weight
    5,280 kg
    Height
    2.8 m
    Age
    45 years

    Captured in 2013 at Yasalur, Hassan. Has taken part in eight Dasaras in a row and was the Nishane (standard) elephant last year — a strong contender for the howdah.

    Mahout: Bhaskar J.C.Kavadi: Rajanna J.S.

  • Ekalavya
    Third Dasara

    Bheemanakatte camp · Male

    Ekalavya

    Weight
    5,800 kg
    Height
    2.88 m
    Age
    41 years

    Captured in 2022 at Mudigere. The tallest of the herd; this is his third Dasara.

    Mahout: Idayat S.Kavadi: Prasanna

  • Prashantha
    18 Dasaras

    Dubare camp · Male

    Prashantha

    Weight
    5,100 kg
    Height
    2.61 m
    Age
    54 years

    Captured in 1993 at Karekoppa, Shivamogga. A veteran of eighteen years of Dasara duty.

    Mahout: J.A. ChinnappaKavadi: Chandra J.H.

  • Gopi
    Naupath elephant last year

    Dubare camp · Male

    Gopi

    Weight
    5,150 kg
    Height
    2.5 m
    Age
    43 years

    Captured in 1993 at Karekoppa, Shivamogga. Fifteen Dasaras; the Nishane elephant from 2015 to 2024 and the Naupath elephant last year.

    Mahout: P.B. Naveen KumarKavadi: Shivu J.R.

  • Sriram
    Fifth Dasara

    Dubare camp · Male

    Sriram

    Weight
    4,640 kg
    Height
    2.68 m
    Age
    41 years

    Captured in 2016 at Bengur, Kodagu. Five Mysuru Dasaras and the Tumakuru Dasara; selected again this year.

    Mahout: Sari J.D.Kavadi: Ganesh

  • Srikanta
    Second Dasara

    Mattigodu camp · Male

    Srikanta

    Weight
    5,860 kg
    Height
    2.86 m
    Age
    57 years

    Captured in 2014 at Shanivarasanthe, Hassan. The heaviest of the herd; his second Dasara. Was on Palace pattadane duty last time.

    Mahout: J.R. RadhakrishnaKavadi: Omkar K.

  • Lakshmi
    Kumki

    Balle camp · Female

    Lakshmi

    Weight
    3,438 kg
    Height
    2.52 m
    Age
    54 years

    A former circus elephant taken over by the Forest Department in 2015 and retrained. Steady amid noise and crowds; her third Dasara, as a kumki.

    Mahout: MaheshKavadi: Madhu S.

  • Kaveri
    Kumki

    Dubare camp · Female

    Kaveri

    Weight
    3,060 kg
    Height
    2.4 m
    Age
    46 years

    Captured in February 2009 at Adinadu, Somwarpet, Kodagu. Has served as a kumki in several Dasaras.

    Mahout: J.D. DobhiKavadi: Sanjan J.A.

  • Roopa
    Kumki

    Doddaharave camp · Female

    Roopa

    Weight
    3,500 kg
    Height
    2.75 m
    Age
    50 years

    Rescued from a circus in 2016. Her second Dasara, as a kumki.

    Mahout: ManjunathKavadi: Manju

  • Sugreeva
    Salaane elephant

    Dubare camp · Male

    Sugreeva

    Weight
    5,800 kg
    Height
    2.95 m
    Age
    44 years

    Captured in 2016 in the Kushalnagar range. Three Dasaras; the Salaane elephant.

    Mahout: J.G. ShankarKavadi: Jeevan

  • Chaitra
    Kumki

    Ramapura camp · Female

    Chaitra

    Weight
    2,988 kg
    Height
    2.47 m
    Age
    55 years

    Born in the camp. Five Dasaras as a kumki; selected again this year.

    Mahout: Kaleem PashaKavadi: Prathap

The elephant chosen to carry the golden howdah, and the other roles in the procession, are announced by the Forest Department after the training period. This page will be updated when that list is published.

Last updated on 24 September 2026