Drona (c. 1936 – 1998) was one of the lead

Dasara Elephants Elephants are an integral part of the Mysore Dasara Festival. The elephants form the core of the Mysore Dasara procession on the Vijayadashami day. The lead elephant carries the Golden Howdah (Chinnada Ambari) with the Goddess Chamundeshwari in ...

of the

Jamboo Savari Mysore Dasara is the ''Nadahabba'' (state festival) of the state of Karnataka in India. It is a 10-day festival, starting with nine nights called Navaratri and the last day being Vijayadashami. The festival is observed on the tenth day in ...

Mysore Dasara Mysore Dasara is the ''Nadahabba'' (state festival) of the state of Karnataka in India. It is a 10-day festival, starting with nine nights called Navaratri and the last day being Vijayadashami. The festival is observed on the tenth day in the ...

. He carried the

Golden Howdah The Golden Howdah (elephant seat or Chinnada Ambari in Kannada) is a howdah, the carrier mounted on the leading elephant during the Jamboo Savari (Elephant Procession) of the famous Mysore Dasara. It is the cynosure of all eyes during the famo ...

for a record 18 years consecutive years between 1981 and 1997, before being electrocuted while grazing in 1998. Of all the carrier elephants since the 20th-century, he is considered the best "because he possessed an excellent ability to learn and correct himself".

The name

The elephant was named after

Drona Droṇa ( sa, द्रोण, Droṇa), also referred to as Dronacharya ( sa, द्रोणाचार्य, Droṇācārya), is a major character of the Hindu epic Mahabharata. In the epic, he serves as the royal preceptor of the Kaura ...

, the great guru of

Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the '' Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the K ...

. In the epic, Dronacharya is a priest, but he was so mature and intelligent that he taught warfare for a livelihood. The elephant Drona was named so because of his amazing ability to learn and correct himself.

History

Drona was captured in a

khedda A khedda (or ''Kheddah'') or the Khedda system was a stockade trap for the capture of a full herd of elephant Elephants are the largest existing land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the ...

operation in the

Kakanakote {{coord, 11, 53, 55, N, 76, 12, 10, E, display=title Kakanakote is situated at a distance of 73 km from Mysore in Karnataka state, India. It is a thick forest of the Western Ghats, and a famous place where a large number of wild elephant ...

forest area of Heggadadevana kote in 1971. He was used for a brief period in

Shimoga Shimoga, officially known as Shivamogga, is a city and the district headquarters of Shimoga district in the central part of the state of Karnataka, India. The city lies on the banks of the Tunga River. Being the gateway for the hilly region of ...

to carry timber. Doddappaji was Drona's

mahout A mahout is an elephant rider, trainer, or keeper. Mahouts were used since antiquity for both civilian and military use. Traditionally, mahouts came from ethnic groups with generations of elephant keeping experience, with a mahout retaining h ...

. Doddappaji's association with Drona began from the day it was captured, as his father, Chennakeshavaiah, was in charge of taming it. Having grown up together, he understood the animal better than anyone else.

The Mahout

Doddappaji, who once handled

, the

elephant Elephants are the largest existing land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. They are the only surviving members of the family Elephantidae ...

that carried the howdah, has refused to take part in the Dasara festivities since Drona was electrocuted. A third generation mahout and an expert in taming wild

s, Doddappaji is haunted by memories of Drona. After the death of Drona, he has requested senior officials not to ask him to participate in the "

." The mahout says he has not come across another elephant that matches the size and strength of Drona, whom people adored for his gentle behaviour.

Death

Drona died of electrocution in 1998, when he was grazing in the

Nagarhole National Park Nagarahole National Park is a national park located in Kodagu district and Mysore district in Karnataka, India. This park was declared the 37th Tiger Reserve of India in 1999. It is part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. The Western Ghats Ni ...

, that spans across the borders of

Kodagu Kodagu (also known by its former name Coorg) is an administrative district in the Karnataka state of India. Before 1956, it was an administratively separate Coorg State, at which point it was merged into an enlarged Mysore State. It occupie ...

and

Mysore district Mysore district, officially Mysuru district is an administrative district located in the southern part of the state of Karnataka, India. It is the administrative headquarters of Mysore division. Chamarajanagar District was carved out of the or ...

s of

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Kar ...

. In a village, Balle, attempting to eat the leaves from a tree, he pulled down the trunk, which brought down a high-tension power cable and instantly electrocuted him. Following his death, Drona was mourned in Karnataka.

References

{{reflist

External links

The Mahout
1998 animal deaths