At 5,800kg, Arjuna outweighs all other Dasara jumbos

MYSURU: The first batch of six Dasara elephants, which was received at Mysuru Palace on Monday, were weighed on Tuesday. This is an annual procedure before they are given special food supplements.
Arjuna, the 59-year-old howdah elephant from Balle elephant camp, weighs 5,800kg, the highest of the lot. Vijaya, the 62-year-old jumbo from Dubare elephant camp, weighs 2,825kg, the lowest.

The weight of other four jumbos: Abhimanyu, 53, from Muthigodu elephant camp — 5,145kg; Dhananjaya, 37, from Dubbare camp — 4,460kg; Eshwara, 49, from Dubare camp — 3,995kg; and Varalakshmi, 62, from Muthigodu camp — 3,510kg. Compared to their weights last year, except Eshwara (who is making his Dasara debut this year), all other elephants have put on weight. Arjuna was 5,650kg, while Dhananjaya was 4,460kg last year.
Veterinarian Dr Nagaraj, who has been looking after the Dasara elephants for more than a decade, said that the elephants will be given special food supplements ahead of Jamboo Savari on Vijaydashami Day. “All of them look healthy and fine. After having special food for over 50 days in the run-up to Dasara, the elephants put on an average weight of 200-400kg. But but this time, they have come 40 days prior to the main event,” he added.
The special diet comprises rice balls mixed with jiggery, vegetables, coconuts, sugarcane and pulses like green gram. They will soon start rehearsing on the procession route twice a day and get acclimatized to the city crowd and noise.