Tamil Nadu government is likely to ban the age old practice of elephants 'blessing' pilgrims in temples. Wildlife officials have asked temple authorities to put an end to the practice as trainers torture the elephants, compelling them to 'bless' pilgrims, sometimes leaving them injured. Moreover, elephants like humans suffer from diseases like asthma and tuberculosis and it might spread to pilgrims, the authorities said.
Chief wildlife warden, Mr R. Sundarajaru, had recently issued a circular instructing the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR and CE) department, which is maintaining temples, to stop the practice.
The ban might also reduce stress on the jumbos. The Wildlife department had been conducting "relief camps" for elephants for a month every year to relieve them from stress.
These camps are being conducted at the elephant sanctuary at Mudumalai forest in Nilgiris district, where the department had a training centre for jumbos.
The elephants were being fed with nutritious food along with medicines to prevent the animals from contracting diseases like tuberculosis. These camps, run for the past seven years, had proved successful, the authorities said. Wildlife department had also asked temple authorities not to keep the elephants on concrete floors as it would damage the foot of the animals.
HR and CE officials said they were discussing the ban. "Any decision should not hurt the religious sentiments of the pilgrims," they said.
Meanwhile, Hindu Bakta Sabha, a religious outfit, had opposed the ban.
Murugavel, one of the office bearers of the Sabha said getting blessing from elephants is considered sacred for Hindus and any move to ban it would be against religious sentiments.