Dasara: Weight of second batch of elephants checked; Sugreeva weighs most

Mysuru: The weight of the second batch of five Dasara Elephants was checked at a 59 year old lorry weighing bridge on Dhanvanthri road in Mysuru on Friday morning.

Sugreeva weighed the highest at 5,190 kg, Mahendra weighed 4,910 kg, Prashantha 4,875 kg, and Doddaharave Lakshmi 3,485 kg.

Hiranya weighed 2,930 kg, according to Forest officials DCF (wildlife) I B Prabhu Gowda.

Last year before they left for their respective forest camps Sugreeva weighed 5,310 kg and his weight has now decreased by 120 kg; Mahendra weighed 4,835 kg and his weight has increased by 75 kg; Prashantha weighed 5,215 kg and his weight has decreased by 340 kg; Doddaharave Lakshmi weighed 3,365 kg and her weight has decreased by 120 kg; Hiranya weighed 3,025 kg and her weight has increased by 95 kg.

They started marching towards the weighing bridge from the North gate of Mysuru Palace by around 7.30 am. They passed through K R Circle, Sayyaji Rao Road and reached the weighing bridge on Dhanvantri Road. As usual, a magnetic metal detector/scanner attached to the escort vehicle which moved ahead of them, screened and attracted nails or any metals to ensure they didn't prick the feet of elephants. Police and Traffic police escorted them and cleared the traffic.

These five elephants arrived at Mysuru Palace premises on Thursday evening and joined nine others - Abhimanyu, Dhananjaya, Gopi, Bheema, Rohith, Kanjan, Ekalavya, Varalakshmi and Lakshmi who had arrived as part of the first batch on August 21.

Veterinarian Mujeeb Ur Rehman said that these five elephants will also be fed with special nutritious food, like the other nine elephants to prepare them for the Dasara Jamboo Savari procession.

It was a scene to behold, to see all 12 gentle giants moving at the heart of the city of palaces on the Jumbo Savari procession route on Friday morning. People have been lining up each day on either side of the roads, clicking videos, photos and selfies. Several flower vendors at Devaraja market and even the general public have been offering flowers to them. Kanjan and Varalakshmi did not participate in the training on Friday morning.

Forest officials DCF (wildlife) I B Prabhu Gowda, RFO Santhosh Hoogar, Veterinarian Mujeeb Ur Rehman and other forest department personnel accompanied them.