Jumbos get ready for rejuvenation
The special month will be characterised by massage, bath and a special diet for robust health of the jumbos
THRISSUR: Captive elephants in Kerala are getting ready for a month-long monsoon rejuvenation therapy or sukha chikilsa. Kicking off the season, 39 jumbos of Guruvayur Devaswom will undergo treatment at Punnathur Kotta on Wednesday.
The special month will be characterised by massage, bath and a special diet for robust health of the jumbos.
The elephants in musth are kept out. It is learnt that the Devaswom has already taken their blood samples and health check-ups carried out.
“Kerala alone has 550 captive elephants and most of them would undergo the treatment this month under temple administrations,” said elephant expert Dr Giridasan.
The therapy is done during the Malayalam month of Karkidakam at the peak of south-west monsoon. The treatment is carried out according to the weight and health of the elephant.
The diet is characterised by surplus vitamins and nutrients. It includes green and horse gram, chyavanaprasam, ashtachoornam, mineral mixture and vitamin tonics as prescribed by experts.
In the middle of July, as a part of the rejuvenation,Vadakkumnathan will witness a traditional annual ceremony called Aanayoottu, a mass feeding of jumbos under the patronage of Vadakkumnatha Kshethra Kshema Samithi. Elephants from different parts of the state arrive for the feast.