Temple elephants travel to Theppakkadu

TIRUNELVELI/THOOTHUKUDI/TIRUCHY: As many as 10 elephants belonging to different temples and mutts from Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi and Tiruchy districts have been sent to Theppakkadu near Mudumalai for the 48-day rejuvenation camp. Based on an order from Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, the camp for elephants would be conducted at Mudumalai from Dec 14.On Monday, 10 elephants, Kumaran (9), Devanai (13) from Subramanya Swamy temple, Tiruche ndur,Gomathi (17) from Sankara Narayana Swamy temple, Sankarankovil, Gandhimathi (38) of Nellaiappar temple, Tirunelveli, and Valli (10) from  Kumarar temple, Ilangi, besides elephants Adinayagi (10) belonging to Adhinatha Alwar  temple, Alwarthirunagari, Kumuthavalli (16) from Vaithamanidhi Perumal temple, Tirukolur, Lakshmi (10) from Aravinda Losanar temple, Irettai Tirupathi, Sundaravalli (8) and Kurunkudivalli (16) from Azhagiya Nambirayar temple (Jeeyar mutt, Tirukurunkudi) from Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi were sent.Tirunelveli District Forest Officer J S Ambrose, HR & CE  Joint Commissioner Sudershan, Animal Husbandry Department Joint Director Nadarajan, among others, were present when they pachyderms started their journey.Sudershan told Express that of the 11 elephants belonging to temple and mutts in Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi and Kanyakumari districts, they had sent 10 elephants to Mudumalai and they would reach on the midnight of December 13.As elephant Gopalan at Suseendram temple in Kanyakumari district was in the musth period (a period of aggression and sexual activeness in male elephants), it was not sent.From Tiruchy, Andal, Akhilandeshwari and Lakshmi, the three temple elephants belonging to the Sri Ranganathaswamy temple, Srirangam, Sri Akhilandeshwari temple, Thirvanaikovil and Sri Thayumanaswamy temple, Malaikottai, respectively, were sent for the 48-day rejuvenation camp to Theppakaddu near Mudumalai from here, on Monday. According to Jayaraman, Joint Commissioner/ Executive Officer, Sri Ranganathaswamy temple, this is the fourth time, Andal would be attending the camp, whereas Akhilandeshwari, is a calf that arrived at the temple only a couple of days ago.