DASARA IMPACT - Howdah elephant Arjuna gained 255kg, Balarama 650kg

MYSURU: He might not have carried the Golden Howdah this year, but Balarama who had previously had the honour of carrying the howdah for 13 consecutive years certainly seems to have enjoyed his sixweek stay at the Mysuru Palace, where the elephants stayed in the run-up to the world famous procession. Of all the Dasara elephants, Balarama gained the maximum amount of weight, 650kg.In comparison, the howdah elephant, Arjuna gained just 255kg in the same period. Kumki elephant Kaveri gained just 215kg, which was the least. However, the staggering increase in Balarama's weight is par for the course. In 2015, he put on 605kg as part of his training, while the figure was 665 in 2014. When he arrived at the palace on August 26, he weighed little under five tonnes (4,920kg).However, the six-week stay saw the number rise to 5,570kg. During their six-week stay , the elephants gorged on special food supplements, which included boiled cereals, pulses mixed with onions and salt. Apart from the diet, prepared by senior veterinarians, the elephants were also fed liver tonic, vitamin and mineral supple ments among others.
Gajendra, the 61-year-old tusker, too put on a significant amount of weight (600kg) during his stay at the palace. The government spent as much as Rs 20 lakh on feeding the Dasara elephants. For the past 17 years, veterinarian Dr Nagaraj has been responsible for the health of the Dasara elephants. “Most elephants have gained weight, owing to the nutritious food they were given,“ he said.