'The total expense for this came to around Rs.5 lakh. After the pooja all the elephants are treated to a sumptuous meal which includes 5 kg of rice, pineapple and other items,' said Jagadeesh.

Meanwhile, in the famed Guruvayoor Temple, around 30 km from here, nearly 65 elephants will go for a month long rejuvenation programme.

Thottathil Ravindran, president of the Guruvayoor temple board, told IANS that the programme began Friday. The temple has 65 captive elephants.

The elephants will be treated to a host of nutritious food items including pulses, jaggery, sugarcane and others.

'For the next one month, all our elephants will be on a special diet and on various treatment protocols to see that they remain healthy for the next one year,' said Ravindran.

According to the forest department, there are around 900 captive elephants in Kerala.