Dasara elephants continued weight training on the famed Mysuru Palace premises for the fourth day on Thursday.
Abhimanyu, who is likely to carry the 750-kg golden howdah during the Jamboo Savari, successfully carried sandbags weighing 500 kg.
The weight training started on Monday and the authorities are training the jumbos in three cycles. In the first cycle, Abhimanyu was given weight training and in second and third day cycle, Dhananjaya and Gopalaswamy carried sandbags mounted on their back.
In the first cycle, the elephants carried sandbags weighing about 275 kg. Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) Wildlife V Karikalan said the elephants are undergoing training successfully. The elephants will be made to walk 3 km carrying weight and 3.5 km without weight, the officer said.
In order to ensure good health and to improve physical condition, the elephants are put under a special diet from Wednesday. They gain weight during their stay in Mysuru to participate in Dasara.
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