Weight of second batch of Dasara elephants checked; now Arjuna weighs highest

Weight of eight Dasara elephants who arrived in the first batch was checked for the second time. Arjuna who missed his first round of weight check since he had been sent to combing operation to trace Tiger in H D Kote taluk was weighed and now among all of 15 Dasara elephants Arjuna weighs the highest at 5680 kgs.

In the the second batch of Dasara Elephants Sugreeva weighed the highest. This took place at weighing bridge on Dhanvanthri road in Mysuru on Wednesday morning.

Among the second batch of Dasara Elephants, 41 year old Sugreeva weighed 5035 kg, 50 year old Prashantha weighed 4970 kg, new Elephants 21 year old Rohith weighed 3350 kg, 46 year old Hiranya weighed 2915 kg, Lakshmi weighed 3235 kg.

Since the elephants are being fed special nutritious food, the weight of jumbos has gone up compared to their weight in September 6. The weight of Abhimanyu has gone up by 140 kg and it has increased from 5160 kg to 5300 kg. Weight of Bhima has gone up by 315 kg and it has increased from 4370 kg to 4685 kg. Weight of Mahendra has gone up by 135 kg and it has increased from 4530kg to 4665kg. Weight of Dhananjaya has increased by 50kg and it has increased from 4940kg to 4990kg.

Weight of Gopi has increased by 65 kg and it has increased from 5080kg to 5145kg. Weight of new elephant Kanjan has increased by 155 kg and it has increased from 4240 kg to 4395kg, Weight of female Elephants Vijaya has increased by 55kg and it has increased from 2830kg to 2885kg; Weight of Varalakshmi has increased by 150 kg and it has increased from 3020kg to 3170kg.

As the countdown for Dasara has begun, the acclimatisation exercise for the second batch of Dasara Elephants has begun. They took a stroll in palace premises on Tuesday morning and marched with the first batch of Dasara Elephants on the Jumbo Savari procession route, till Ayurveda circle on Sayyaji Rao road on Tuesday evening.

Dasara elephants are being served with special nutritious food- boiled rice cooked with green gram, black gram, wheat, vegetables, onion, ghee and salt before the acclimatisation exercise. Once they are back they are fed with Kusre-paddy, coconut, jaggery, groundnut cake and sugarcane packed with hay straw. They are fed with Kusre before the stroll in the evening and cooked special food after their stroll in the night. Besides they enjoy green grass and branch fodder-leaves of Banyan tree.

All nine elephants arrived at Aranya Bhavan premises in Mysuru on September 1, after the grand Gajapayana event at Veeranahosalli in Hunsur taluk, Mysuru district. They were shifted to Mysuru Palace premises, after another grand event to welcome them, on September 5. The acclimatisation exercise to familiarise them with Dasara Jamboo Savari procession route for Vijayadashami began on September 7.

Abhimanyu, Gopi, Dhananjaya, Mahendra, Bheema are being trained from September 15 to carry weight, to acclimatise them to carry 750 kg golden howdah during Dasara Jamboo Savari procession. The second batch of another five Elephants arrived on September 25.