Every year, during the Dasara festival, a grand procession is undertaken from the Mysuru Palace to the Bannimantap Parade Grounds. The chief attraction of this parade is an elephant decked out in splendour, carrying the golden howdah.

The howdah started out as a structure originally meant for Mysuru”s kings to ride in. However, kings stopped riding in them in 1969.  Even so, the elephants never stopped carrying it. This year, a new elephant replaced the old one, and the tradition continues.

But first, before the parade, the elephants undertake a journey from the forests. Here is how it begins.

However, it did not always have a king in it. Over the years, the howdah’s occupant has changed.