Srirangam temple elephants get exclusive water tank, promenade

Temple elephants Andal and Premi alias Lakshmi will now have more time to chill out and walk around a promenade that has been specially created for them and get fed fed sumptuously.

Both, Andal and Premi, belong to the renowned Sri Ranganatha Swamy temple in Srirangam, and their primary task is to assist the temple priests in the conduct of 'Vishwarupa' pooja and other rituals connected with the shrine.

“Now, they (elephants) will splash in the spacious tank built for them and also walk around on the pathway to be healthy and happy,'' a senior official with the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department said.

The bathing tank which can hold three lakh litres of water was established at the Udayavar Thoppu on Kollidam river bank road, within the property owned by the temple.

An eight-foot wide walking track spanning 857 metres amidst a natural habitat has been created in the 5.48 acre grove owned by the HR&CE department.

“The elephants will be taken for a walk covering about 5 km distance daily and they would be fed sumptuously,” a release from the department on Friday said. The temple authorities would consult the animal husbandry department and the forest department on taking care of the pachyderm, the release said.

The tank and walking track were established based on guidelines of the Madras High Court and also an announcement made in the Tamil Nadu Assembly.

In August last year, following a petition filed by activist Rangarajan Narasimhan, the Madras High Court had suggested providing premises amidst natural habitat for temple elephants to rest after they complete the daily rituals in the temple.