Instead of panic, jumbos’ presence hailed at Srikalahasti

Residents welcome the three-member herd as ‘divine guests’

The farmers of Ammapalem village, five km from the temple town of Srikalahasti, were bewildered on seeing a herd of three wild elephants on the prowl a few days ago. However, they welcomed the jumbos as “divine guests”.

Taking pride in the name of Srikalahasti, which signifies a combination of spider, snake, and elephant, the farmers believe it is a celestial wonder to see wild elephants in their region. Though Srikalahasti has an “elephant” in its name, the centuries-old temple at present has no elephants in its possession for conducting regal processions during festivals.

The arrival of this “bachelors’ group” from the Tamil Nadu forests into Nagari plains early in March, after traveling a distance of over 200 km, had led to tension in several villages between Karveti Nagaram and Renigunta mandals. This is the second group of jumbos from Tamil Nadu to traverse the terrain of Chittoor district from west to east. The earlier jaunt took place year between January and May, during which period an elephant was electrocuted near Puttur, while two elephants returned to their habitat, before killing one person.

Unlike the previous bachelors’ group that lingered in Nagari plains for over five months, the present herd moved towards Srikalahasti in a couple of weeks. After reaching Ammapalem village, the elephants entered the cozy depression at the foot of Kailasagiri hillock near Srikalahasti temple. For three days, the pachyderms maintained a strict regimen — coming out during nights, feeding on the grass and vegetation along Swarnamukhi river, though causing negligible damage to crops, and returning to their camp before dawn.

Suresh, a coconut trader at Srikalahasti temple, said that nearly a decade ago, there was a domestic elephant in the vicinity of the temple. Later, due to ill-health and some wounds, it was taken away somewhere, and had not returned. “The presence of wild jumbos here for the first time gives us happiness. We also feel they are trying to enliven the legend of Srikalahasti in our minds,” he said.

Forest Range Officer (Srikalahasti) Venkata Subbaiah said that the elephants were successfully driven into the reserved forest of the Srikalahasti range. He said the villagers in and around Srikalahasti were very cooperative in driving away from the elephants towards the forest. “The people are very much sentimental on seeing the elephants here. Srikalahasti and surrounding villages like Vedem are replete with the legend of Sri-Kala-Hasti. We have urged the farmers to abandon night vigils and not resort to the firing of crackers and beating of drums. It seems their trip away from Tamil Nadu forests is in search of fodder and water. Like the previous group, this present one might also be returning to its original habitat in the coming days. We are studying all possibilities to drive back the pachyderms,” he added.