In pictures | Puducherry bids farewell to Lakshmi

On November 30, 2022, Puducherry bid farwell to the temple elephant Lakshmi who had developed a celebrity status over the years

Puducherry on November 30, 2022 bid farwell to its most famous and beloved animal, Lakshmi, the elephant who had stood at the entrance of Sri Manakula Vinayagar Temple for years, ‘blessing’ devotees. Said to have been donated to the temple as a 10-year-old when R.V. Janakiraman was the Chief Minister of Puducherry, a visit to see Lakshmi featured on the to-do list for tourists visiting Puducherry. The elephant’s mass popularity spawned paintings, handwork, blog posts, YouTube videos and even a fictionalised French book.

However, concerns were also raised regarding Lakshmi’s health. While initially her hours at the temple’s entrance were reduced, later reports demanded that the elephant be relocated. In June 2015, a report by the Animal Welfare Board of India recommended that Lakshmi be rehabilitated to a forested sanctuary owing to concerns about its health, and also alleging ‘illegal ownership. It said that the elephant was bought by the temple trust from a person in Kerala in 1997.

Five years later, in June 2020 Lakshmi was briefly translocated from its enclosure to the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) campus on the outskirts of the city, following a complaint by BJP Lok Sabha MP Maneka Gandhi to then Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi alleging repeated abuse and violations of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. However, only a month later, following an intervention by then Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy, Lakshmi was placed again in the possession of the temple authorities to bless the devotees. He also directed temple management to provide a new place for Lakshmi to stay during non-darshan time and night hours.

The Madras High Court, in August 2020, passing an interim order on a case filed by PETA, also directed the Puducherry government to make sure that Lakshmi, was provided proper nutrition, allowed to move about freely and subjected to periodical medical check-up.

On November 30, 2022, while out on her daily morning walk, accompanied by her two mahouts Lakshmi suddenly collapsed and died of a suspected cardiac arrest. Throngs of people came out to pay their last respects and joined the funeral procession. Those who paid homage to the elephant included Ministers K. Lakshminarayanan, C. Djeacoumar, MLAs G. Nehru alias Kuppusamy and Richard John Kumar.