Overview

• Five elephants—Gopi, Sugreeva, Srikanta, Roopa and Hemavathi—arrived Monday and received a traditional welcome at the Jayamarthanda Gate.
• The quintet joins the Abhimanyu-led jumbo squad, with the new arrivals drawn from the Dubare, Matthigodu and Bheemanakatte elephant camps.
• Local reports identify three debutants among the five, with integration into the festival team now underway.
• All elephants are camping on the palace grounds with their mahouts, receiving special diets and undertaking twice-daily runs along the 5‑km procession route.
• Earlier weigh-ins put Bheema at 5,465 kg and Abhimanyu at 5,360 kg, with checks for the latest arrivals to be completed before they join full practice sessions.