Nine Dasara elephants have arrived in Mysuru from various camps and are housed at the Mysore Palace to take part in the Jumboo Savari. Conservator of Forests Dr. S.S. Ravishankar says the males receive 13‑14 kg and females 11‑12 kg of special feed twice daily, with a total of 66‑700 kg of fodder for males and 500‑600 kg for females each day.
The special diet includes green gram, horse gram, urad grains, rice, salt, onions, radish, carrot, beetroot, cucumber and other vegetables, supplemented with leaves and green grass. These ingredients are cooked carefully for six to seven hours and served in the mornings and evenings after the elephants finish their training.
For the first time, the herd is also being given avalakki (flattened rice) and curds once a day to keep them cool and help prevent musth, officials said. The menu prioritises fibre‑rich items while protein‑ and carbohydrate‑rich foods are also prepared and fed.
Officials noted that excessive weight gain is unhealthy; last year, the elephant Bheema added about 500 kg and other elephants about 200 kg by eating leftovers. This year, feed is being allocated strictly according to the diet chart.
A second batch of three Dasara elephants is expected soon. Abhimanyu, slated to serve as the ‘Nishane’ elephant, will reach the city 15 days before the grand finale, and weight‑carrying training begins this evening, with Mahendra already handling sand bags as part of the regimen.
The Conservator of Forests has urged spectators to keep a safe distance from the elephants during the Jumboo Savari route and to refrain from agitating or feeding them.