Sukhachikitsa for temple elephants at Sri Padmanabhaswamy begins | Times of India
THIIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The annual ‘Sukha chikitsa’ or Ayurveda rejuvenation therapy for the elephants coinciding with the Malayalam month Karkidakam began on Monday. Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran fed the two elephants at Sri Padmanabhaswamy Templemarking the inaugural of their Sukha Chikitsa here on Monday.
After the inaugural, Devaswom Minister called for the need to ensure proper health care and maintenance of the elephants, while their majestic presence is upheld at major temple rituals in Kerala. The two elephants Darshini and Sudarshana at the Anakottil of Bhajanapuram Palace of Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple were fed by the Minister and Travancore royal family members.
The day also marked the auspicious Perunthiru Amruthetu Pooja ritual and as part of that a sweet delicacy called ‘Ratna Payasam’ was prepared and served to the deity in a gold vessel embossed with precious diamonds. It comes after the seven-day long Kalabhabhisekham ritual at the Temple which began on July 10 and concluded with the Karkida Sreebali on Sunday, Temple executive officer V Ratheesan said. The ritual began after the erstwhile Travancore Royal family head Sri Moolam Thirunal Rama Varma paid his obeisance to the Lord at the temple.
On Monday, MLA V Sivakumar, Poortutathi thirunal Marthanda Varma, Avittam Thirunal Aditya Varma, Temple manager B Srikumar and other officials were present.
On the Sukhachikitsa for the elephants at the temple, veterinary surgeon and Travancore Devaswom Board consultant Dr T Rajeev told TOI that “Ayurvedic rejuvenation treatment involves providing a special diet to the elephants during the month Karkidakom”. After giving the elephants a bath with a herbal paste at 3 am, the elephants will be fed a special diet comprising rice powder or flattened rice (Aval), horse gram, green gram, ragi powder and groundnut, he said.
After de-worming the elephants with herbs, the elephants are given special diet with supplements such as tonic chavanaprash, vitamins and minerals. The health condition of the elephants are ascertained and if required liver stimulants such as Liv 52 tabs or appetite stimulant such as ashtangachooranam will be fed as part of the diet, he said.
