Dasara: Weighty Arjuna steals the show

Mysuru: As the countdown begins for the much awaited Jumbo Savari, the star attraction of the soon -to -held Dasara festivities in the city, forest officers and caretakers of the Dasara elephants got down to the arduous job of  familiarising them with the 4.8 km long route of their procession and getting them physically ready for the big day with a special nutritious diet that will cost the government Rs  25 lakh, here on Tuesday.

The day began with the elephants marching down the route of the Vijayadashmi Day procession at around 7am in the morning from the north gate of the Mysuru Palace. The jumbos had their weight checked on  reaching the weighing bridge at Dhanwanthri road, before returning to the palace. They were also taken for an evening stroll at 6 pm to familiarise them with the dark as the Jumbo Savari will go on till late evening .

As many as six cooks led by veterinary assistant, Rangaraju are involved in preparing the special food for the gentle giants, who were served boiled rice cooked with jowar, green gram, black gram, wheat, vegetables, and onion  topped with half kg of butter before their morning and evening strolls. And on their return from their morning and evening walks, they were given a foot and head  massage with castro and neem oils.

As their weights were checked at one of  the oldest weighing bridges on Danwanthri Road ,  it was Arjuna, who has carried the golden howdah for the past eight years, who turned out to be the heaviest, at 5800 kgs, like every year.  Abhimanyu weighed 5145 kgs, Dhananjaya , 4460 kgs, Eeshwara, 3995 kgs, Varalakshmi, 3510 kgs, and Vijaya,  2825 kgs.