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Annual rejuvenation camp for temple jumbos begins on February 9
With the ninth annual temple elephant rejuvenation camp beginning on February 9, about 27 elephants from temples across the State arrived at Thekkampatti on the banks of River Bhavani in Mettupalayam, Coimbatore district on Wednesdays. Elaborate arrangements have been made to ensure the safety and pleasant stay of the elephants in that camp that would go on for 30 days.
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Few more elephants are expected to arrive in the next few days. The temple elephant camp was a pet project of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa due to her love for jumbos. She wanted captive elephants surrounded by people to feel like elephants in their natural habitats and on her directions the first camp was conducted in 2003.Â
Since then the camp is conducted every year whenever the AIADMK is in power. This year, the state government has sanctioned Rs 1.16 crore for the camp, in which around 40 captive elephants from temples and mosques across the State will take part, a senior Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) official said.Â
Those elephants that are either aged or unable to travel to the camp due to ailments would get special care and diet at par with the elephants at the camp here. Jumbo Gandhimadhi from the Nellaiappar temple in Tirunelveli was the first to reach the site at 11 am. She was followed by Gomathi from the Sankaranarayanaswamy temple at Sankarankovil.Â
Five stage-like mud structures with a slope have been dug at the site to help the jumbos get down from trucks. The jumbos arriving at the camp will be greeted at the camp with special poojas. While it was customary for the camp to be jointly inaugurated by a few ministers, uncertainty prevails on the presence of ministers at the inaugural on Thursday.Â
Senior officials from HR&CE, forest and other departments, district collector are expected to preside over the inaugural camp’s inaugural on Thursday.
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