The first batch of nine elephants, which arrived in Mysuru during the first week of September for Dasara, have gained weight owing to special diet that is fed to them to keep them fit for the festival.
The lead elephant Abhimanyu, who is slated to carry the golden howdah with the idol of goddess Chamundeshwari weighed 5,160 kg on September 6. But on Wednesday, he weighed 5,300 kg and has put on 140 kg since his arrival.
However, it is Bheema who has gained the maximum weight in the intervening period and he weighed 4,370 kg on September 6 but has put on 315 kg since then. There are 14 elephants rehearing for Dasara and the second batch which arrived on Tuesday were also weighed. Tusker Arjuna, it transpired, is the heaviest of all the elephants in the camp and weighed 5,680 kg.
