Pramesh S Jain
SHIVAMOGGA:The Dasara procession in Shivamogga was thrown into chaos after elephant Somanna,carrying the silver howdah with the idol of Goddess C
Chamundeshwari,suddenly turned around and charged back towards the starting point, triggering panic among devotees and spectators.
The incident occurred shortly after the ceremonial procession began its journey from the Palace towards Allama Prabhu Ground.
As the procession approached Anjaneya Swamy Temple, Somanna reportedly became agitated by the surging crowds, turned around and bolted in the opposite direction.
In the commotion,the 650-kg silver howdah mounted on the elephant’s back tilted precariously and fell, sustaining damage.
The sudden turn of events sent spectators scrambling for safety as the elephant moved along the route and rammed into a parked car, damaging the vehicle.
The situation threatened to escalate into a major tragedy as the elephant continued towards the nearby Vasavi School grounds.
However,the mahouts and forest department personnel intervened swiftly, with the help of two other elephants, Sagar and Bahadur,to contain Somanna and steer him away from the crowd.
After a tense operation,the handlers managed to pacify the elephant and bring it under control,averting a potentially serious incident.
Officials subsequently secured the elephant and inspected the idol of Goddess Chamundeshwari and the damaged silver howdah.
No serious injuries were reported in the incident,though the sudden disruption left devotees and spectators shaken.
