A month of ayurvedic rejuvenation for jumbos

Guruvayoor, Jul 11 (UNI) With the advent of the Monsoon and no work, Pachyderms are all set for 'ayurvedic rejuvenation therapy' for a whole month.

'Sukha Chikitsa', the annual 30-day rejuvenation therapy during the Monsoon, is a time when the jumbos are freed from the hectic 'parade duties' of festival processions and is a time of complete rest, merriment, sumptuous and highly nutritious food, laced with ayurvedic and allopathic medicines and rejuvenation.

The privileged lot are the jumbos of Guruvayur Dewasom Board, which runs the largest captive elephant sanctuary in the world at Punnathur Kotta. Veterinary doctor T C Ravunni Nambiar said the restorative treatment for the temple elephants here was conducted every year and it was the 24th year that the jumbos were being 'sukha chikitsa'.

''Beginning today, the elephants of this famous Sree Krishna Temple, would be administered Albandazole, a medicine for de-worming, two weeks before the commencement of the actual treatment,'' he said and added that the camp would last till August nine.

All preparations to provide 30-days annual 'Ayurvedic Rejuvenation therapy' to 62-odd elephants, he said and added the total expenditure would be about Rs 6.5 lakh. During the treatment period, the elephants are made to take a bath in the morning, he said adding that the three-hour bath itself was an important part of the treatment.

Rubbing the body with coconut fibre increases the blood circulation, said Dr K B Muralidharan Nair, a retired veterinary professor. He said, though some private elephant owners used to give foods including chicken and goat as medicines, the Guruvayoor Devaswom had no such practice.

A team of elephant experts, including veteran ayurvedic vaidyan Aavanaparambu Maheswaran Namboodiripad, would look after the ayurvedic therapy and veterinary doctors T C Ravunni Nambiar, Muralidharan and K C Panickar would lead the allopathic treatment.

During the 'sukhachikitsa', the elephants have a balanced diet which includes the ideal quantities of fat, proteins, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins, says Mr Nair. The beasts are also given absolute rest, except some 'ezhunillippu' (temple procession) at the Sree Krishna temple.

The diet includes rice, greengram, horsegram, chavanaprasham, ashtachoornam, ragi, turmeric powder, salt and other items. The quantity of these ingredients varied for different categories of elephants.

Besides, a powder named Liv-52, ayurvedic mineral mixture also is given to them. Ragi is another item in the menu. Altogether 7,620 Kg of rice, 3,270 Kg of greengram, 300 Kg of horsegram, 885 Kg of chyavnaprasham and 93 Kg of ashtachoornam are given to the beasts.

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