Dasara Howdah elephant Abhimanyu weighs the most and Lakshmi the least
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Mysuru: Dasara Howdah elephant Abhimanyu weighs the most and Lakshmi the least.
Among the nine elephants participating in this year’s Dasara celebrations, Abhimanyu, the howdah elephant, weighed 5,560 kg, during the routine process of checking the weight of elephants after their arrival in the city.
Elephant Dhananjaya weighs- 5,155 kg, Gopi- 4,970 kg. The new entrant, Ekalavya, weighs 4,730 kg, while Bhima closely follows at 4,945 kg and Kanjan- 4,515 kg.
Among the female elephants, Varalakshmi weighs 3,495 kg and Lakshmi is the lightest with 2,480 kg.
To prepare for the Dasara procession, the elephants undergo a daily routine of walking along the route to become familiar with the terrain and the urban environment’s sights and sounds.
This preparation, spanning 45 to 50 days, helps reduce the stress the elephants may experience.
Abhimanyu will carry the 750-kg golden howdah, in addition to 250 kg of sandbags and the weight of his mahout. To support this immense task, the elephants are given a special diet that includes sugarcane, jaggery, a mix of grains and rice.
However, gaining weight alone isn’t sufficient for the elephants to be fit for the task. They also need to build endurance and strength. Therefore, they regularly march from the palace to the Bannimantap Torchlight Parade grounds and back to Palace, covering a distance of 10 km.
The actual Dasara procession will cover 5 km, so the rigorous training ensures the elephants are well-prepared.
Throughout their training, the elephants will gradually carry increasing sandbag weights, starting from 250 kg and rising to 400 kg. Eventually, they will become accustomed to carrying 750 to 1,000 kg, covering the procession distance in just over an hour.
DCF Dr I B Prabhu Gowda, Veterinarian Dr Muzeeb Ur Rehman and the mahouths and kavadis were present during the weight check at Dhanvanthri Road on Saturday morning.
-Team Mysoorunews
Mysooru News
