E for Elephant
What's the first thing that comes to my mind when I think of these majestic beasts?
A blessing from an elephant at any temple that I go to. Drop a coin in its trunk and it'll graciously bless you by gently tapping your head as you bow down. That said, there's always this small nagging feeling somewhere at the bottom of the heart - the feeling that wonders if the elephant will trample you (just like it trampled my favorite poet Mahakavi Subrahmanya Bharathiyar). But this has never stopped me from enjoying the childish pleasure of being blessed by this huge creature.
The elephant at the Pondicherry Manakula Vinayagar Temple, in her younger days, used to love Fanta and Pepsi. Now that she's getting older, we've been requested not to feed her anything as her tummy gets upset too soon! A funny incident that I always think of when I go near an elephant is what happened to a cousin at the Sri Ramanujar Temple, SriPerumpudur. As she bowed down to this mighty beast (her name is Kodhai - the elephant I mean), Kodhai showered my cousin with a er... huge sneeze.
How many of you love and enjoy the experience of being blessed by an elephant?
A blessing from an elephant at any temple that I go to. Drop a coin in its trunk and it'll graciously bless you by gently tapping your head as you bow down. That said, there's always this small nagging feeling somewhere at the bottom of the heart - the feeling that wonders if the elephant will trample you (just like it trampled my favorite poet Mahakavi Subrahmanya Bharathiyar). But this has never stopped me from enjoying the childish pleasure of being blessed by this huge creature.
The elephant at the Pondicherry Manakula Vinayagar Temple, in her younger days, used to love Fanta and Pepsi. Now that she's getting older, we've been requested not to feed her anything as her tummy gets upset too soon! A funny incident that I always think of when I go near an elephant is what happened to a cousin at the Sri Ramanujar Temple, SriPerumpudur. As she bowed down to this mighty beast (her name is Kodhai - the elephant I mean), Kodhai showered my cousin with a er... huge sneeze.
How many of you love and enjoy the experience of being blessed by an elephant?
 |
| Image courtesy: Sowrirajan s (Flickr: Elephant) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons |
thats beautiful gesture for elephant ! i do have my child memories of getting bless :) kalakara po deepa !
ReplyDeleteவாங்கும் கவளத்து ஒரு சிறிது வாய் தப்பின்
ReplyDeleteதூங்கும் களிறோ துயறுரா - ஆங்கது கொண்டு
ஊரும் எறும்பு இங்கு ஒருகோடி உய்யுமால்
ஆரும் கிளையோடு அயின்று
- குமரகுருபரர்.
எப்போது யானையை பார்த்தாலும் தோன்றும் வரிகள்.
hahaha .. I've always been scared of elephant blessing ever since the Kerala incidents were reported. But i love to watch them from a distance, and with my bro dragging me, I do eventually get near one and take it's blessings :D
ReplyDeleteNice post
Keep smiling,
Lakshmi
I like these gentle beings. I shudder to think that the same gentle giant can also get mad and go on a frenzy. I love to read elephant stories and watch them on NatGeo and Animal Planet.
ReplyDeleteJoy always,
Susan
I used to feed coconuts to one which used to do rounds at our home..
ReplyDelete:) love it!! Such beautiful creature! Have you been to dubbare elephant camp.. if not you should try.
ReplyDeleteI used to be scared of these guys giving me blessings, Heck Im still scared. But beautiful creatures alright !!
ReplyDeleteMe ! Me ! I love getting blessed
ReplyDeleteElephants always fascinated me in my childhood days yet I am a little afraid going near them. But the feeling after getting blessings is bliss :)
ReplyDeleteLove these guys and of coz getting blessings. Went to the Pondy temple recently just to see her, but she was off duty for the afternoon.
ReplyDeleteKUMKI
ReplyDeleteElephant attracted me to your page .... Please do see my post on : Temple elephant blessing : http://www.sampspeak.in/2010/08/elephant-in-temple-triplicane.html
ReplyDelete