Mysuru Santhe, a new initiative, is happening here on September 11 and 12 for supporting the children of mahouts and kavadis of Dasara elephants.
The santhe is being organised at Maharaja College Grounds where over 70 stalls will bring together clothing, footwear, jewellery, artwork, handicrafts, handlooms, upcycled furniture, vintage housewares, garden supplies, toys besides items from different parts of the country in one place for the convenience of the public.
“This is the first edition of Mysuru Santhe which is being organised with a cause,” the organisers said.
A few citizens from different walks of life from Mysuru have launched the flea market (Mysuru Santhe) to contribute for the welfare of the mahouts’ children.
The children have arrived with their parents – mahouts and kavadis of Dasara jumbos. The first batch of elephants arrived last month while the second batch came on Wednesday. They are being accommodated in the palace premises in temporary shelters.
A tent school is also functioning to ensure continuity of schooling for the children, who are going to be away from their jungle homes until the conclusion of the festivities. The tent school ensures that the children do not miss their classes during their absence in schools in their native places.
Mysuru Santhe is supported by the city-based Kalisu Foundation, a youth driven organization that provides education to the government school children coming from the low-income background and enabling them to maximize their potential besides transforming their lives, a press release from the organisers said.
“The children of mahouts deserve good education for a safe future. We thought Mysuru Santhe can be the right platform to help these children. Our contribution may be minimal but this is just the start of a new beginning,” said Bharat Gowda, one of the organisers, in the release.
The organisers said they are planning to rope in celebrities from Mysuru, Bengaluru and other places, representing entertainment, sports and other fields, to endorse the cause.
