Balarama

Challenging gender norms in Tamil folk arts, P. Senrayaperumal, a male performer, embodies female roles in Raja Rani Attam, while Thilagavathi Palani, a woman, takes on male characters in Kattaikkuttu. Both artists navigate societal prejudices and economic hardships, using their art to express powerful narratives and personal struggles.

Balarama, the gentle giant, could be part of yuvaraja Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar's coronation.

Dasara elephant Balarama, who carried the Golden Howdah for 13 long years, is likely to be unavailable for next Dasara owing to his deteriorating health.

MYSORE: Balarama, the much-loved jumbo and the main attraction of the Mysore Dasara celebrations may not carry the 800 kg Golden Howdah on Vijayadashmi Day, officials of the forest department hinted.

Dasara elephant Balarama, who has carried the golden howdah for 13 years, was injured after a resident opened fire at him on the fringes of Nagarahole tiger reserve during the wee hours of Friday.

A hefty Arjuna could have won first round in the race to be howdah elephant, but his competitor Balarama beat him to lead the pack of six jumbos on Dasara training.

The pride of Nagarahole national park, 54-year-old Balarama has lost over 400 kgs since his last sojourn to the Royal City and Arjuna on the contrary has gained a whooping 700 kilos touching 5,520 kgs.

Legendary Dasara tusker Balarama, who was 65, died on Sunday at Nagarahole Tiger Reserve.The elephant was being treated for a throat infection at Bheemanakatte elephant camp in N agarahole for the last two weeks and breathed his last around 4. 30pm. He will be buried on Monday morning, said Nagarahole director Harshakumar Chikkanaragund.

If organizers are to be believed, Arjuna has an edge over Balarama, who is losing his majestic composure and gait, in carrying the 750kg golden howdah.

Dasara elephant Balarama, a member of Mathigod elephant camp, who suffered pellet injuries after an estate owner opened fire at him on Thursday night, is recovering and responding to treatment, said foresters.He is on antibiotics and under observation.

Balarama, the Dasara elephant carried the golden howdah for 14 years during the Dasara procession in Mysore and became the cynosure of all eyes.

The gentle giant Balarama has a worthy successor. On Monday as Arjuna, carried the fabled golden howdah on his back ambling five kilometer Dasara procession route, the 53-year-old majestic jumbo struck a chord with the milling crowd and announced that he is here to stay.

Arjuna did it with élan, ease and poise. On Wednesday, when Mysore kept its date with history, it was also the 52-year-old elephant’s day of redemption as he carried the fabled golden howdah on his back with dignity, matching the style and pride of Balarama.

BANGALORE: Twenty-eight year old S.Balarama is out on his feet all the time. That he is crippled with polio since the age of 10 has not deterred his spirit of winning an endless list of national awards, be it powerlifting, shotput or cricket.

S Krishnamurthy alias Korangu, a history-sheeter facing over 50 criminal cases, died of illness at a hospital in Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh on Friday.

MYSORE: The first batch of Dasara elephants led by Balarama, which carries the Golden Howdah during the famous `Jumbo Savari', will arrive in the city on Thursday at the Aranya Bhavan attached to the forest department.

Balarama, who carried the golden howdah for 13 years, gained the most weight of 605kg during its stay at palace for nearly 50 days. Last year, among the 14 elephants including Arjuna, which carried the golden howdah, Balarama gained the most weight of 665kg.

The gentle giant Balarama has a worthy successor in Arjuna.

It's official. Arjuna will carry the fabled golden howdah this edition and Balarama, the gentle giant who ambled majestically performing the daunting task will take a break for the job. He is not calling it quits though and will be part of the jamboree.

He might not have carried the Golden Howdah this year, but Balarama who had previously had the honour of carrying the howdah for 13 consecutive years certainly seems to have enjoyed his sixweek stay at the Mysuru Palace, where the elephants stayed in the run-up to the world famous procession.

MYSORE: The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon) has organised annual Srikrishna Balarama ratha yatra on Saturday in the city.

With 54-year-old Balarama showing signs of fatigue during the five-hour procession, the authorities are wondering if they can entrust Arjuna with the job. But Arjuna is in the bad books of authorities for running amok during the procession and killing a mahout during a routine walk from a tank to the palace where elephants camp during Dasara.

Among the three new tuskers, which are proposed to be trained in Dasara duties, Bheema is being eyed to be the next howdah elephant, given his temperament and stamina, two prerequisites to be the howdah elephant.

Which elephant will carry the 750-kg golden howdah at the grand finale of the Mysore Dasara celebrations this year? Will it be Balarama, which has done the honours 13 times, or Arjuna which did it once?

On Wednesday when Mysore kept its date with history, the 52-year-old has his redemption carrying the fabled golden howdah on his back with dignity, matching the style and pride of Balarama, who now could give up his captaincy to his successor.

The gorgeous Arjuna could have finally made it. The 52-year-old is now inching closer to be the howdah elephant.

Some time back when an elephant calf was under weaning at an elephant camp in Nagarahole tiger reserve, Balarama parented her extending her emotional support.