At Puducherry’s renowned Manakula Vinayakar temple, elephant Lakshmi passes away from cardiac arrest

On Wednesday, while being led for a stroll, an elephant affiliated to Puducherry’s renowned Manakula Vinayakar shrine had a sudden heart arrest.

 

An industrialist gave the temple an elephant named Lakshmi in 1995, and both locals and visitors from other countries used to seek the animal’s favour.

 

The jumbo was being cared for by a veterinarian from the territorial government, who was present when the animal suffered a heart attack and passed away.

 

The animal was in good health, he informed Press Trust of India, and its unexpected cardiac arrest was what killed it. The pachyderm died after collapsing on a road near the public secondary school Calve College.

 

The animal would be interred later that day at the expansive land owned by the temple in the nearby neighbourhood of Muthialpet, said Ramachandran, the president of the Trustees Board of the temple.

 

People from all regions of the union territory flocked to pay respects as soon as word of the elephant’s passing spread like wildfire on social media. Additionally, people were observed decorating the animal’s body with wreaths and flower petals.

 

When the animal was hoisted with the aid of a crane to a vehicle, police officers were sent in to help calm the gathering.

 

The only temple in Puducherry to own an elephant was Manakula Vinayakar.