The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Mahouts get nostalgic about elephant camp

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Sunday, Dec 17, 2006
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Mahouts get nostalgic about elephant camp

G. Srinivasan

Last year, around this time, the animals were relaxing at Mudumalai

Thanjavur: Come November and it is camp time for pachyderms. It was so at least the last three years.

But on Friday, fifty-five-year-old big temple elephant Vellaiyammal was standing at the entrance of the Big Temple greeting people, collecting bananas, coins, rice etc.

On the same day last year, it was in the Mudumalai elephant camp. Vellaiyammal enjoyed the stay there for 48 days.

Sarangan and Vinoth, mahouts of Vellaiyammal, were nostalgic recalling their stay. On the first trip, Vellaiyammal gave a tough time to them while boarding the lorry.

The next two years she went happily after letting out a cry with her raised trunk.

Hill food, medicines given

At the camp she had bath in the mountain river, took hill food and medicines.

It was also a health tour for the elephants. "Vellaiyammal was 4.5 tonnes when taken to the first camp.

Now she is 4.75 tonnes," said Sarangan. In the temple, it is routine for Vellaiyammal.

In the morning, she gets grass and coconut leaves at 8 and rice at 10. In the evening, she is fed rice and grass.

In between, she gets bananas and other eatables brought by devotees. Vellaiyammal had for company Dharmambal from Panchanatheeswaraswamy temple at Thiruvaiyaru, the Sengammal from Sri Rajagopalaswamy temple at Mannargudi and elephants of Nagore Durgha near Nagapattinam and Agneeswarswamy temple near Pattukottai.

The mahouts said that they would go again if the camp was organised.

But will the new Government consider organising the camp?

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