1. Have an Interesting Snippet to Share : Click Here
    Dismiss Notice

When elephants also start playing football...............

Discussion in 'Snippets of Life (Non-Fiction)' started by Meenupanicker, Mar 4, 2010.

  1. Meenupanicker

    Meenupanicker Senior IL'ite

    Messages:
    235
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    18
    Gender:
    Female
    I was reading newspaper about an elephant who was relieved of his anger simply by kicking again and again on an Accent car parked in the carporch where it was given shelter. The incident happened during night and the family saw car slowly rolling to a football so that he could kick it with easiness.They could not bear the sight but what could they do?.The poor chap was angry with his caretaker regarding something. Later it was revealed that the mahout and elephant had a quarrel during evening and the anger towards him forced him to behave like that.

    Then I remembered about an incident that took place in Temple in our area.That day was the day of annual festival .The procession included five elephants carrying deities neatly decorated .There stood they, as if they were participitating in a beauty contest. Being the centre of attraction of the crowd ,they wore nettipattam,venchamaram and alavattom and muthukkuda of different colours were also there.According to the temple history Mahadeva and sree Parvathi along with three sons were going for holy bath in the near by river of Pampa. The nadaswaram(pipe),chenda(a kind of drum) and all the elements for a colourful festival were included and there was a rush of devotees happily assembled, meeting releatives,children busy with shopping ,and what to say suddenly the loud voice which said anakku madamilaki(meaning elephant has became angry) turned into chorus and the crowd not knowing what to do and where to go made the situation worse. Those were the moments of complete confusion and people were rushing themselves out of the great compound wall in huge masses.After sometime the situation changed as some people noticed elephants still standing wondering what was wrong with these people.Then the news spread it was only a rumour and everything was under control.It was the news spread by thieves who also wanted to have their contribution from the festival.In the confusion of the gathering they gained their part.

    My family often recollect the incident for simply laughing over themselves about their manners during the course of frighten.But I always think what would have happened if the story had a twist involving the elephants too running in panic and resulting loss of lives.Fortunately it didn’t happen then.But it again happened in a later incident at the same temple when someone kicked the elephant deliberately a making the poor animal frightened and then also mishap was avoidedThe elephant simply ran without harming anything.I read about another procession in which two elephants were assembled. Mahout gave palm leaf to one only. The other elephant in all its anger made the procession totally tragic resulting in the death of three women.

    They are meant to be living in the forest and are happy there. They are denied their natural environment,natural food,mating their babies. As long we didn’t interfere with them they will not come by themselves changing these happy gatherings to mourning ceremonies and making several families orphans. They are denied their basic needs and we want them to be add colours to our festivals. Eventhough there are rules and regulations nobody cares for these in the rush during the festival month .These poor animals run from one temple to another simply entertaining guests. I often wonder from where could this idea of taming this big creature could have originated.
    It’s definitely another achievement but not a social leap by the mankind.

    What do you say about making these poor creatures suffer for our selfishness

    (Its my first snippet and please forgive me if there is any mistakes. I was having the fear to post anything here since everyone here are masters and thought what would you people think about my poor blog.My special thanks Kamalji who inspired me with your kind words )

     
    Last edited: Mar 4, 2010
    Loading...

  2. Mindian

    Mindian IL Hall of Fame

    Messages:
    6,330
    Likes Received:
    3,346
    Trophy Points:
    355
    Gender:
    Female
    Hi meenu,

    welcome to writing in snippets ! :) do enjoy yourself without worrying about the way you write.we are all here to enjoy ourselves and have fun basically.

    You must be from kerala ,right? i too am originally from kerala so maybe because of that or what i do not know i just LOVE elephants..i have watched the trichur pooram for years as a kid and just enjoy seeing these majestic animals. I have also heard fascinating stories of their memory and how they never forgive the mahout for any cruelty towards them

    yes i feel terrible to see them chained in almost any temple in kerala...so many cuts ad bruises on their legs .really SAD.
     
  3. Meenupanicker

    Meenupanicker Senior IL'ite

    Messages:
    235
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    18
    Gender:
    Female
    Dear Mindian
    I am lucky enough to have first feedback from you.Thanks for your support.
    Your guess is correct am also from Kerala.Where are you hailing from in Kerala?
    What you heard is true about their revenge towards Mahout and also their memory.
     
  4. Amma15

    Amma15 Gold IL'ite

    Messages:
    676
    Likes Received:
    327
    Trophy Points:
    138
    Gender:
    Female
    Dear Meenu,

    You are indeed brave! Keep it up!

    Yes it is so sad to see them chained. You can actually see the pain and hurt in their eyes. I too love elephants. Gentle giants.

    Love,
    Usha
     
  5. Meenupanicker

    Meenupanicker Senior IL'ite

    Messages:
    235
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    18
    Gender:
    Female
    Dear usha
    Thankyou so much for dropping your feedback here. Thanks for the compliment also eventhough am not so brave.
    Gentle giant I like the name So apt for them.
    Eventhough they are so much gigantic they are bound in a chain which they feel they couldnot break.Isn't it unbelievable?
     
  6. feduptocore

    feduptocore Senior IL'ite

    Messages:
    277
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    18
    Gender:
    Female
    Dear Meenu...

    lovely write up ... elephants are one of the most docile creatures but hen provoked can cause havoc only because they have the size and power to do so and its many a times not intentional.. they are very social animals and have great family ties within the herd....
    I simply adore them and have elephant prints all over my home ... bedsheets/ table cloths/ tv covers etc...My fav God is Ganesh tooo and I'm NOT from Kerala...
    K
     
  7. Meenupanicker

    Meenupanicker Senior IL'ite

    Messages:
    235
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    18
    Gender:
    Female
    Dear ftc

    Thank you so much for stopping here and dropping feedback.

    They are truly adorable animals and its very cute to observe baby elephants.

    without Ganesh puja who could start a major puja??

    Regarding the cute materials with elephant prints my father al; so have a collection
     
  8. Kamalji

    Kamalji IL Hall of Fame

    Messages:
    13,153
    Likes Received:
    5,818
    Trophy Points:
    545
    Gender:
    Male
    dear Meenu,

    A wonderful post, touching the heart.I have a soft corner for elephants, they are almost like humans, softhearted.Next to Kerela, u will find many elephants in Jaipur, at least a few hundred, they take tourists up the Amber Hill, and participate in marriages.

    they are not trreated well, in the hot son, on the Damar Roads, what u call that they put on the top of the Raods, Tar, it gets so hot u cannot walk barefoot, and these elephants are made to walk during the hot sun.

    And the nahouts, use that iron stick which they poke behind the ear of the elephant to make it obey, sometimes the elephant loses its cool and they kill the mahout and other people.

    What u said about someone kicking the elephant is so cruel.And the runour, lucky nothing happened really.

    A very good post, welcome to Snippets, with such wonmderful stories, and i must thank u for taking my name,. it feels good to have young new writers here, an i am glad u have joined the ranks of New good writers, like Tubelight, Nats, Radhika, and others.

    We want more posts from u, looking forward to yr posts.

    Regards

    kamal
     
  9. Meenupanicker

    Meenupanicker Senior IL'ite

    Messages:
    235
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    18
    Gender:
    Female
    Dear Kamalji
    Thanks for stopping here and dropping your valuable feed back.Your comment made my dayBow
    I also have seen pictures of elephants in Jaipur.But from your narration I think they are also sharing the same story as their Kerala counterparts.In kerala also these mahouts pull ears kick them with an iron rod.The poor animal sometimes manages to kill those cruel lads.There is also a saying there
    "Anachoru kolachoru ",meaning mahouts are fed of their bloodmoney
    What to say Kamalji, these people even use elephants to play on their petty tricks and no need to speak about thieves.
    Thankyou once again for your kind words:thankyou2:
     
  10. Tubelight

    Tubelight Bronze IL'ite

    Messages:
    584
    Likes Received:
    4
    Trophy Points:
    33
    Gender:
    Female
    Hi Meenu !
    Your journey in Snippets world has started off auspiciously. Whats more auspicious than the loveable giant, The Elephant ! Everybody loves Elephants !

    It must have been scary to be in the middle of a madly rushing crowd, trying to escape the angry elephants ! If elephants start playing football, I certainly wouldn't want to be the goal post ! But mobs in panic turn quite mad !
    elephants still standing wondering what was wrong with these people :)
    We often read news of temple elephants running wild. I always sympathise with them. What a torture to be confined to small spaces, put through crowded processions, ear splitting drum music and hundreds of people trying to grab and touch them.:cry:
    When Jayalalitha was CM , she brought in a system of providing Annual Holidays for such elephants. They were taken to the forests to rest and relax. I consider that a fine gesture.
    Enjoyed reading, dear. Hope to read more from you.
    :thumbsup
     

Share This Page