India- Temple elephant can take jumbo job no more

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Date:24/08/2005 URL:

http://www.thehindu.com/2005/08/24/stories/2005082403520200.htm

Temple elephant can take jumbo job no more

A Non-Government Organisation from Tirupati rushes to its rescue

 

 

 

 

 

 

TOUCH OF CARE: Veterinary team from Animal Care Land treating Saraswathi in

front of the Srikalahasti temple.

 

 

TIRUPATI: Notwithstanding legislations against the prevention of cruelty to

animals and numerous campaigns by animal zealots, animals continue to be treated

cruelly. A good example is the fate of the 45-year-old female elephant,

Saraswathi.

 

Everyday it stands for 13 hours in front of the Srikalahasti temple but the

temple insists that it does not belong to it. The temple authorities have,

however, given permission to one Sekhar, from Karur to keep his elephant in

front of the temple without financial commitment on the part of the temple

either for its maintenance, upkeep or health. They sought the permission of

wildlife authorities to let Sekhar station his elephant in front of the temple

as the temple did not have its own elephant and the one promised by the Kanchi

Kamakoti Peetham was also not forthcoming.

 

Once the owner secured permission to keep the pachyderm in front of the shrine

to `entertain' the pilgrims and for temple processions there was no looking

back, sources said. As for the daily chores of Saraswati, now down with

foot-sores and ulcerated hindlegs, she used to be herded into the front-yard of

the temple at 8 a.m. and made to stand there till the closure of the temple at

around 9 p.m. entertaining pilgrims.

 

Nightmare

 

 

 

The `entertainment,' which became a nightmare for the jumbo was the `standing'

order given to it to keep `greeting' VIPs and pilgrims with its trunk not before

collecting and passing on the prescribed fee to the mahout either perching on it

or standing beside. It has been trained to collect only currency and shun coins.

Saraswathi has been doing this since last November without break. Though she

alone is made to do this job continuously four mahouts change shifts during this

time. This arrangement is perhaps to let them share the `collection' equitably

and also to take a breather when while the jumbo goes ahead with its job.

 

It was only after a Tamil Weekly, Kumudam, carried a story on the ulcerated feet

of the elephant quoting a devotee's letter, the end to its ordeals seems to be

in sight, thanks to the initiative taken by the Chennai-based NGO, People for

Animals, which alerted a Tirupati-based outfit -- Animal Care Land. The Tirupati

NGO on Tuesday despatched a two-member veterinary team to Srikalahasti temple

and started treatment of its swollen and wounded hind legs. The team comprising

of Ramana and Poovizhi dressed the wounds, applied antiseptic medicine and gave

it a shot of antibiotics for quick relief. The team also did a bit of

counselling to the mahouts on the do's and don't's and asked them not to let it

stand for long hours on hard granite floor but to make it stand on the ground.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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