Temple Elephant ‘Lakshmi’ of the Manakula Vinayagar Temple collapsed and passed away on 30 November 2022, when she was out for her morning walk. She was only 30 years old and was much loved by the people of Puducherry.
Lakshmi was walking in a lane along with her mahout when she fainted on the road. Veterinary doctors were rushed in to provide medical help but she passed away soon reportedly of cardiac arrest.
Hearing the news of Lakshmi’s demise, residents of Puducherry flocked to see their darling and have been paying tearful tributes.
#Watch | புதுச்சேரி: யானை லட்சுமிக்காக கண்ணீர்விடும் பொதுமக்கள்
லட்சுமியுடனான நினைவுகளை பகிர்ந்து கண்ணீர் மல்க அஞ்சலி!#SunNews | #PondyElephant | #ElephantDeath | #ElephantLakshmi pic.twitter.com/FxrcDHPWSP
— Sun News (@sunnewstamil) November 30, 2022
Temple elephant #Lakshmi of Sri Manakula Vinayagar temple, who passed away during her morning walk in #Puducherry on Wednesday. She was lifted by a crane and placed in front of the temple to enable devotees to pay homage. Photos: Kumar SS pic.twitter.com/HklRVBCXKC
— The Hindu – Puducherry (@THPondy) November 30, 2022
Temple activists and elephant actvists have alleged foul play in the death of Lakshmi. S. Muralidharan, of Redefining Animal Welfare suspects sabotage by Indian Forest Service officer Vanjulavalli Sridhar and BJP’s Maneka Gandhi.
“On whose direction did she confine the elephant in the shed without walks & conduct a postmortem”, Muralidharan asked.
Will you Ms @VanjuSridhar tell us why you confined Lakshmi, advised treatment by @PETAindia doctors & restrained regular medicine to her for water retention?
Dr. @DrTamilisaiGuv a detailed probe, postmortem & accountability needed! @Indumakalktchi @americai @thekiranbedi
— Redefining Animal Welfare – RAW (@redefiningaw) November 30, 2022
He alleged that Lakshmi was forcefully taken away from the Manakula Vinayagar Temple by Maneka Gandhi during the pandemic.
“We brought Lakshmi back with the help of then Puducherry Chief Minister Narayanasamy, Congress leader Americai Narayanan and Indu Makkal Katchi. But after that, Maneka exerted pressure on the Forest Department to keep the elephant confined not even allowing her to go for a walk. Because of that she (Lakshmi) had water retention in her body due to which she suffered a heart attack and died today morning.”, the elephant activist said adding that Maneka Gandhi and the BJP government is responsible for the mess.
Temple activist Rangarajan Narasimhan has also raised suspicion over the death of Lakshmi.
Why did Elephant Lakshmi of Manakula Vinayakar Temple, Pondicherry die? Authorities must answer. This elephant is only 30 years old! Average life span of an elephant is 70 years. Elephants in TN Temples will also die if this callous attitude of @tnhrcedept continues. pic.twitter.com/xPhIdzI5Ly
— Rangarajan Narasimhan (@OurTemples) November 30, 2022
Earlier, Lakshmi was displaced from her home in Manakula Vinayagar Temple by taking her away reportedly in an unethical and illegal manner. She was kept at Krishi Vigyan Kendra in a pathetic condition. Indu Makkal Katchi (IMK) mobilized a campaign to rescue Lakshmi from PETA. Congress’s Americai V. Narayanan, BJP Puducherry’s Ganesan and other members from various Hindu organizations protested the move to remove Lakshmi from the temple. They had sought the intervention of Puducherry Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy to bring back Lakshmi home. Following this, Lakshmi was brought back to the Puducherry Manakkula Vinayagar Temple from the Kamaraj Agricultural Science Center in Kurumbapet.
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