Bemoaning the tragic death of Dasara elephant Arjuna in a fight with a wild tusker near Sakleshpur recently, an artist from Mysuru has created a 3D artwork near the Balarama Gate of the Mysuru Palace here to pay his tribute to the legendary elephant, who carried the golden howdah eight times in a row.
Anil Bhogashetty, a former CAVA student from Mysuru, decided to create the tall tusker – one of the most popular Dasara elephants which carried the golden howdah during the Dasara celebrations with ease – in 3D art so that visitors remember him and recollect the memories of the jumbo, who was engaged in operations to tame wild elephants in jungles.
“Arjuna was among the popular jumbos and there was a fond relationship with the city since the elephant was engaged as the Nishane elephant even after it was rested from the tasks of carrying the howdah. As an artist, I used to craft Dasara tableaux and therefore remember seeing the elephant and admiring its prowess,” said Mr. Anil, who had created wildlife 3D artworks for the Mysuru zoo and Bandipur reserve.
The 15-feet tall artwork can last for about 15-20 days, he added.
The artist started to work on the artwork on Thursday and finished it after a break around 11:30 a.m. on Friday.
