Mysuru, KARNATAKA :

by M.T. Yogesh Kumar

As the city is being spruced up for it to sport a bridal look, inside the Palace too, hectic activities have begun to get the elephants ready for the Vijayadashami grand finale. The main attractions on the last day of the festival are the 12 elephants with Arjuna, carrying the Golden Howdah (Ambari), being the cynosure of all eyes.

Special care is taken by the team of Forest Department officials, mahouts and kavadis to ensure that the elephants are fed well and trained so that they can gain enough weight enabling them to stay composed amidst the cheering crowd at the Jumboo Savari. Care is also taken to decorate them with specially designed robes. Their trunks are painted and metal ornaments with hangings are fixed into their tusks.

Among the specialised team is Pasha and Zakaulla, the two mahouts who have retired from service and who are experts in creating the ‘Gaadhi’ or the cushion and ‘Namdha’ or ‘Gouse’, a robe for the elephants. While the ‘Gaadhi’ is tied to the elephant’s back, a ‘Namdha’ covers the elephant skin and looks like a jacket. The ‘Gaadhi’ and ‘Namdha’ are newly made every year.

Explaining the ‘Gaadhi’, Pasha and Zakaulla say that it makes the uneven surface of the elephant plain and look good when the “Namdha” is spread on the elephant. Each ‘Gaadhi’ has a girth of 1.5 ft and the length depends on the size of the elephant.

While Arjuna, the Howdah Elephant’s ‘Gaadhi’ will weigh 500 to 800 kilograms, the ‘Gaadhi’ made for other elephants weigh 250 to 300 kgs. This is because Arjuna has to carry the 750-kg Golden Howdah with the idol of Goddess Chamundeshwari placed inside. The combined weight of the ‘Gaadhi’ and Ambari is around 1,100 to 1,200 kgs.

A special grass that is grown abundantly on lake and river side is used to make the ‘Gaadhi.’ Locally the grass is called ‘Odake Hullu’ that turns soft when dry. The grass is bundled and filled into a soft but sturdy square shaped cloth specially stitched for the purpose. Along with this grass, dry paddy grass is also used to fill the edges.

“The proportion is important to give a soft and sturdy feel,” say the mahouts. Once the grass is filled, the ‘Gaadhi’ is stitched after covering it with jute gunny bags.

“When I was the mahout before 2006, I used to observe people making the ‘Gaadhis’ and ‘Namdhas’ and slowly I learnt the tricks of the trade. I retired in 2006 and since then I am doing this job every year,” says Pasha.

Pasha and Zakaulla have been a part of the festival and have stitched many ‘Gaadhis’ and ‘Namdhas’ for many elephants in the past. The Forest Department officials too have reposed their trust in their skills and summon them every year for the job. While Pasha is the resident of Gandhinagar in Mysuru, Zakaulla is from Gundlupet.

“I have been the mahout for elephants including Radhika, Jayaprakash, Ramani and Chandrika. I retired 10 years ago and I am happy to serve the Naada Habba. I am willing to teach other mahouts on the making of these specialised equipment,” says Zakaulla.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / September 26th, 2016