[my Memories] Photos & Videos of Elephant Lakshmi, Blessing Devotees - TravellerG

[TravellerG]

Our Photographer @BunnyAyush is receiving blessings from elephant Lakshmi, in Tamil Nadu India. [GIF]

Note: Some of the shot carries the caution notice ‘Cell Phone, camera, video not allowed’ this is applicable only inside the temple; all the shots are taken outside the temple.

Elephants & Temples in India -1.

Hello, dear friends,

Here are a few interesting posts, connected with ELEPHANTS & Worshiping places.

Do your worship places own elephants? Do they take part in rituals, in any way?

In India, many of the temples (which are rich) have their own elephant. They are well maintained and treated decently. These elephants will not be used for commercial activities.

These elephants are treated as the status of dignity off the temple and they take part in temple rituals and festivals. In a few temples, they become a part of the daily rituals; they carry the deity around the temple or through the street around the temple.

These elephants are trained in multiple ways - one of them is to give blessings, while they take arms or donations in return from the devotees. In this post, a female elephant, Lakshmi (who belongs to Arulmigu Manakula Vinayagar [Ganesha] Temple, India) is featured - the cover photo of this post, our photographer @BunnyAyush is being blessed by the temple elephant.

Here are some Stills & Videos, shot during our visit.

Photo -1. Our heroine, Lakshmi

Photo -2

Photo -3

Photo -4

Photo -5

Photo -6

Photo -7

Lakshmi belongs to Arulmigu Manakula Vinayagar Temple, Pondicherry, India. My review & place details are here:

https://goo.gl/maps/vWfanWQ5CuVkSB7K7

Video -1:

An 82 seconds’ Video covering Lakshmi showering blessings to different devotees:

Elephant Blessing Devotees

Video -2:

Another 50 seconds’ Video showing how a mahout feeds Lakshmi:

Elephant having food

Video -3:

A video of 82 seconds’ - Lakshmi showering blessings on Ayush Bunny

Elephant & Bunny slowMo

Hope you will enjoy the post; regards, dear friends…

Ángel40, BùiThịThảo98, Erik_van_den_Ham @cedoucedric Baghdad kennethtan BKBARMANQZ10 BotaCristian @Anil6969

Love to hear your comments, please

[AbdullahAM]

Nice photos indeed, looks beautiful; videos also nice @TravellerG

Thank you for sharing with us.

[AjitThite]

Nice pics as always @TravellerG sir!

It’s a tradition I heard of in many temples in south India and may be across India too…

Where exactly this temple is located in Tamil Nadu sir?

[TravellerG]

After a break, I am meeting you how are you, dear friend, @AbdullahAM

hope you are doing fine - the grace of almighty we are also ok…

thank you for your kind words…

[TravellerG]

Thanks, you could find some time for me, dear @AjitThite ,

This temple is in Puducherry, Tamil Nadu.

Lakshmi belongs to Arulmigu Manakula Vinayagar Temple, Pondicherry, India. My review & place details are here:

https://goo.gl/maps/vWfanWQ5CuVkSB7K7

Regards

[AjitThite]

I always loved your photos and posts @TravellerG sir!! Thanks for the confirmation and because I thought so and my mother confirmed the same, she said she was there long time ago and enjoyed the visit.

Cheers!

[TravellerG]

That is great to know that your mother has busy that this Temple…

The temple is really an ancient one, @AjitThite

[Julien44]

Hi @TravellerG

I didn’t know that many temple in India have their own elephant.

As we can see the elephant is well trained !

On the video, I noticed that some time people give food and the elephant eat it and some other time people give something but the elephant don’t eat it.

Could you please let me know what it is and why?

Thanks a lot for sharing

Julien

[Arati]

Thank you for sharing with us @TravellerG Sir, Elephant seems to be very intelligent and active. Video and the music is amazing sir

[NareshDarji]

Great post @TravellerG sir. Thanks for sharing with us.

[AbdullahAM]

I’m good my friend, i’m back after few months @TravellerG

How are you?

[TusharSuradkar]

Lively and wonderful photos @TravellerG

I have traveled extensively in Tamilnadu visiting various temples but I missed out on seeing temple elephants, though I got an opportunity to ride an elephant on its back. It was a thrilling experience.

I always believed the elephant are domestic but when I asked the elephant owner to allow me to get closer to the elephant and pat his belly or the trunk as a gesture of thankfulness, he refused saying the elephant may not like that.

Also, I wonder why it would be wrong to use an elephant for commercial activity because other animals like horse and bull are used for what they are best suited for - pulling heavy things like a cart and people sitting inside those carts.

[TravellerG]

I am happy to answer you, my friend @Julien44

“…elephant is well trained…” Yes, really well trained - that too years of training before permitting elephants to access human being.

“…and some other time people give something but the elephant don’t eat it…” This too is a part of training - elephant eats all what is given as FOOD. OK? Currency, Coins & Flowers, it returns to the mahout. If you see the video carefully, you can see this.

“On the video, I noticed that some time people give food and the elephant eat it” - This is but natural instinct - People give Coconut (Shell removed), plantains, etc. it will eat it, without the permission of the mahout.

Hope my answer is clear

[TravellerG]

Welcome, dear @Arati

Basically elephants are intelligent… right?

Being temple elephant, they are well fed and looked after - they are not used for commercial purposes.

[TravellerG]

Thank you for your kind response, friend @NareshDarji

[TravellerG]

May be our friends @Sophia_Cambodia , @KamalHossenR , @Hgog may like this topic?

Thanks in advance

[MAHBUB_HYDER]

Hi @TravellerG

Great post and photos and video too! Trained up Elephants are seen India, Bangladesh, Thailand, Myanmar, even I saw at Singapore zoo also very learned elephants! So interesting those views indeed!

thanks for sharing with us my dear friend

[Rohan10]

It’s great and beautiful post @TravellerG . Elephant has a great important in India. Thank you so much for sharing very beautiful photos, Videos and GIF with us here.

[Julien44]

Yes it is fine. Thanks a lot @TravellerG

[Austinelewex]

Awesome post @TravellerG

Thanks for sharing this with us here on connect.

Best regards