The weight of all 14 Dasara elephants were checked here on Friday and 63-year-old Arjuna, the former ‘Ambari’ elephant, has continued to remain the heaviest as it weighed almost 6,000 kg.
This is the second time the weight of the first batch of nine elephants led by Abhimanyu was checked. The weight of the second batch of five elephants that arrived here a few days ago was also checked on Friday. In total, all 14 jumbos underwent weight checking at a weighbridge on Dhanwantri Road here. The first batch of jumbos arrived last month.
The elephants’ weight is usually checked to examine their weight gain as they would be treated with special foods for giving them enough diet for undergoing rigorous training for the Jamboo Savari. They walk on the procession route twice a day as part of the training.
Deputy Conservator of Forest, Wildlife division, Mr. V. Karikalan told The Hindu that nine elephants of the first batch led by Abhimanyu have gained weight ranging from 200 to 425 kg in a span of one month. Abhimanyu has gained 230 kg as it weighed 5,000 kg on Friday. It weighed 4,770 on arrival here.
Arjuna, which weighed 5,775 kg on arrival, weighed 5,950 kg, a gain of 175 kg. It is the heaviest among all the elephants, followed by Gopalaswamy whose weight was 5,460 kg (its weight was 5,140 kilos during the first weight checking exercise).
The weight of other elephants of the first batch is like this – Bheema – 4,345 kilos (3,920 kg on arrival); Mahendra – 4,450 kg (4,250 kg on arrival); Dhananjaya – 4,890 kg (4,810 kg on arrival); Kaveri – 3,245 kg (3,105 kg on arrival); Chaitra – 3,235 kg (3,050 kg on arrival); Lakshmi – 3,150 kg (2,920 kg on arrival).
The weight of the second batch of elephants is like this – Srirama – 4,475 kg; Parthasarathy – 3,445 kg; Gopi – 4,670 kg; Sugriva – 4,785 kg and Vijaya – 2,760 kg. Their weight would be checked again after some days to examine the net weight gain.
Meanwhile, all 14 elephants were taken on the procession route as part of the training on Friday. It was a visual treat to see so many elephants marching majestically on the streets.
“Twelve elephants took part in the training on Thursday and all 14 from the first and second batches were subjected to the training on Friday. Mahendra carried the wooden replica of the howdah and the combined weight of 700 kg was carried by him successfully today,” Mr. Karikalan said.
