Wow..that makes for one very sad headline.
And what is she doing to the elephant? Tickling its nostril? (Image source.)
Jokes aside, apparently it’s not just extremely disrespectful to confine an elephant, ruin its life and terrorize it into “blessing” people, but they can also contract tuberculosis from humans leading to a high rate of death in temple elephants. So if you believe in the Ahimsa principle of Hinduism, please discourage humans from having elephants in temples.
The elephants are routinely forced to touch the heads of pilgrims with their trunks as a form of blessing.
But officials say the practice could be putting the animals at risk of tuberculosis.
They say the constant exposure to as many as 500pilgrims a day may be putting the elephants at risk of contracting diseases, including tuberculosis.
In recent years, four temple elephants have died after contracting tuberculosis.
If you’ve been a temple that houses an elephant for offering said blessings, you know that it is just another form of bribery. The mahouts strictly advise you against feeding it even bananas. And all they want is crisp currency notes.
Next time, please say no to an elephant’s “blessings” and instead lodge a formal complaint at the temple office.
What do you think of this animal cruelty practiced in Hindu temples? Don’t you disapprove? Comment below.
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From Deccan Herald:
But this is hardly anything. Elephants belong in the forest and let us leave them there.