In the city of Mysuru, in southern India, a gentle giant named Prashantha is about to step into the spotlight. On Wednesday, October 21, the 54-year-old elephant is set to take center place in one of the world’s best-known processions, carrying the golden howdah at the close of Mysuru Dasara.
And walking with him will be an old friend who has done this job before: Abhimanyu, the elephant who carried it for the last six years.
It is a story about a festival, yes. But it is also a story about something every family understands: honoring our elders, passing the torch with grace, and finding that there is still a place for us when one season of life ends.
A festival more than 400 years old
Mysuru Dasara is Karnataka’s state festival. In 2026 it runs for 11 days, from Sunday, October 11 to Wednesday, October 21. NewsBytes reports that this is its 417th year.
The tradition reaches back centuries. Historical accounts credit Raja Wodeyar I with starting the festival at Srirangapatna in 1610. Kings of the Vijayanagara Empire had held similar celebrations even earlier.
Every evening of the festival, from 7 to 10 p.m., Mysore Palace glows with nearly 100,000 light bulbs. Families come to stroll the grounds. There is a fruit and flower show at Kuppanna Park, and torchlight parades at the Bannimantap grounds close the festival.
The final day falls on Vijayadashami, a Hindu holy day. That afternoon the Jamboo Savari procession leaves the palace and makes its way through the city to Bannimantap. At its center is a decorated elephant carrying a golden howdah of about 750 kilograms, with an idol of the goddess Chamundeshwari inside. For the people of Mysuru, it is a deeply meaningful moment.
Meet the elephants
Twelve elephants make up the 2026 Dasara team, according to Karnataka.com: eight tuskers and four females. Most come from forest camps such as Dubare, Balle and Mattigodu, where they are looked after by mahouts, their keepers and trainers.
Each has a job. Some are trained to carry the howdah. Others, called kumki elephants, are calm, experienced females who help keep the group steady.
Training is slow and careful. The candidates walk the route first with nothing on their backs, then with sandbags, then with a wooden howdah about as heavy as the real one. They practice around drums, crowds and even cannon fire, so that on the big day nothing startles them.
Prashantha has taken part in more than 15 Dasaras. He weighs about 5,100 kilograms. On October 14, Oneindia reported that he had been chosen to carry the golden howdah this year.
When a faithful servant steps back
Abhimanyu is now 60. Forest Department norms look for a howdah elephant under that age, so this year he stepped down. Deccan Herald reported that he carried it every year from 2020 to 2025. In late August he was given a formal farewell.
But many people who had watched him over the years were not ready to say goodbye. The Hans India reported that admirers asked for “one final opportunity” for the elephant known for his “discipline, strength and calm demeanour.”
Karnataka’s forest minister responded by asking officials to bring Abhimanyu back in a new role. Oneindia now reports that he will serve as the nishane elephant, the standard-bearer of the procession.
He no longer carries the heaviest load. But he still has a place of honor, and the younger elephant behind him gets to follow a familiar, steady leader.
“They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing;”
— Psalm 92:14 (KJV)
What this teaches our families
We don’t need to share another culture’s beliefs to respect its people and learn from what moves them. What has moved so many people in Mysuru this year is something close to every family’s heart.
- Honor the ones who carried the load before you. Grandparents, retired coaches, longtime church members. Their faithfulness made our path easier.
- Stepping back is not the same as being set aside. A new season can still have purpose, even if the role looks different.
- Prepare the next generation patiently. Prashantha didn’t step in overnight. He trained for years, one careful walk at a time.
- Be gentle with God’s creation. The patient care these animals receive is a reminder that strength and kindness belong together.
Maybe there is someone in your life right now who is “retiring” from a role they loved. Call them this week. Tell them what their faithfulness meant to you. Ask them to stay close and keep showing you the way.
Through every storm, we rise together, and we rise best with our elders walking beside us.
Who is the “Abhimanyu” in your life, someone whose faithful service paved the way for you?
Sources: Oneindia, “Mysuru Dasara 2026: Veteran Elephant Prashantha To Carry Golden Ambari In Jamboo Savari This Time” (October 2026); NewsBytes, “Mysuru Dasara marks 417th year with Jamboo Savari finale” (October 2026); Vedantu, “Mysore Dasara 2026: Dates, Jamboo Savari, Royal Heritage and Celebrations” (October 2026); Karnataka.com, “Elephants of Mysore Dasara 2026: All 12 Jumbos and Roles” (October 2026); The Hans India, “Abhimanyu to return for Mysuru Dasara as ‘nishane’ elephant” (September 2026); Deccan Herald, “Mysuru Dasara: Abhimanyu retires after six golden howdah rides at 60” (August 2026); Wikipedia, “Mysore Dasara” (accessed October 2026)
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