Prashantha has been selected to carry the Ambari during Mysuru Dasara 2026, handing the ceremonial responsibility to a new elephant after Abhimanyu completed six years in the role. The selection was reported by Prajavani on October 15, with Prashantha’s mahout, Chinnappa, expressing happiness at the decision.
“Until now, we came, worked together and left. This year, with the Ambari responsibility, there is a small happiness among us. There is excitement that our elephant will carry the Ambari,” Chinnappa said, according to the report. The Ambari is the howdah used in the Dasara procession, one of Mysuru’s largest public cultural events.
Chinnappa has worked with elephants for nearly three decades and has been associated with Prashantha for 16 years. He said the elephant’s earlier mahout had died, after which one or two other mahouts were assigned to Prashantha but could not establish a suitable association with the animal. Chinnappa was subsequently given responsibility for Prashantha.
He said he had participated in Dasara celebrations for 25 years and had also accompanied elephant-capture operations. His account highlights the practical importance of the relationship between an elephant and its mahout in preparing an animal for the demands of the festival procession.
Prashantha will become the 13th elephant to carry the Ambari, according to the report. Jayamarthanda carried the golden Ambari for 45 years in the initial phase. It was later carried by elephants including Vijayabahadur, Nanjund, Ramaprasad, Motilal Raj, Airavata and Biligiri.
The report said the idol of Chamundeshwari was placed in the golden Ambari for the procession from 1977. Rajendra was the first elephant to carry the idol. Drona carried the Ambari 18 times, followed by Balarama, who carried it for 14 consecutive years. After Balarama developed weakness in 2012, Arjuna carried the Ambari eight times.
Abhimanyu carried the Ambari six times from 2020 to 2025 after Arjuna reached the age of 60. Abhimanyu has now also reached 60, leading to the responsibility being transferred to Prashantha for the 2026 Dasara procession.
The selection process may use scientific methods, but the final responsibility also depends on the confidence of the mahout, the report said. The choice therefore combines the elephant’s preparedness with the working relationship and trust developed between the animal and the person handling it. Further details about Prashantha’s training schedule and the procession arrangements were not provided in the report.
