Tusker Mahendra drops out of golden howdah race
Tusker Mahendra, a 14‑year‑old elephant, failed to finish the third round of weight‑bearing training for the golden howdah race, ending his bid for the event. The training requires elephants to carry a wooden replica of the howdah; Mahendra could not finish the third round. Dhananjaya, Sugreeva, Ekalavya and Prashantha remain in contention.