TRIVANDRUM, India -- An army of veterinarians is engaged in the mammoth exercise of cleaning, feeding and massaging 58 elephants who earn their keep in the Hindu temples of southern India.

The steamy early summer is the busy season for the temple jumbos of Kerala, the state on the southern tip of India, and when the monsoon arrives in early June it is time for the elephants to be restored to full health.

The doctors, helped by 168 elephant keepers and assistants, give the jumbos massages, medicine and doses of vitamins to keep them in shape for the rest of the year.

"The monsoon season is ideal for restorative treatment," said Maheswaran Namboodiripad, the head doctor. "Moreover, the elephants are relatively free now as there are no temple festivals around the corner."

Elephants take part in various Hindu festivals in southern Indian temples along with daily rituals, such as parading deities.

In April and May the festival of Trissur Pooram in Kerala brings together India's biggest jumbo congregation of more than 100 caparisoned elephants.

But with the monsoon now in full swing, the elephants are relaxing.

They each begin the day with a bath and body massage.

"The elephant's body is thoroughly cleaned and massaged using coconut husk or stone. Special massage is done for those elephants having inflammation or swelling of body parts," Namboodiripad said.

The jumbos are then fed palm leaves, grass and water.

"A nutritious meal is served at noon. This includes rice, bananas, dates, horse gram, green gram, cucumber, a host of ayurvedic (local herb) preparations and vitamins," Namboodiripad said.

The treatment takes place inside the centuries-old Punnathur Kotta, a fort near the temple town of Guruvayoor, 350 kilometers (220 miles) north of Kerala's capital Trivandrum.

Punnathur Kotta is the biggest captive elephant sanctuary in South India and is the home of Guruvayur Padmanabhan, at 61 the oldest Indian temple elephant.

Elephants are becoming increasingly rare in India, as poaching and environmental degradation take their toll.

Only 10,000 elephants are estimated to be left in the country.

The jumbos' treatment will go on until late July, Namboodiripad said.

"The elephants are administered a combination of Ayurvedic and allopathic treatment, so that their health and vigor is maintained," he said. "Periodic blood tests are conducted to determine the general health of the elephants."

The total cost of the treatment will be about 500,000 rupees (10,416 dollars), AFP quoted Ajit Kumar, a senior official at the trust that administers the jumbos' care, as saying.

Namboodiripad said 7,478 kilograms (16,452 pounds) of rice, 2,970 kilograms (6,534 pounds) of green gram and 87 kilograms (191 pounds) of "ashtachoornam," a mixture of eight herbs, were required for the month-long course.

"On top of that we give protein and multi-vitamin tablets," he said.