Skip to main content

Monday, 23 December 2024 | 02:53 pm

|   Subscribe   |   donation   Support Us    |   donation

Log in
Register


“There are no goodbyes for us. Wherever you are, you will always be in my heart”: Puducherry sweetheart Elephant Lakshmi of Manakula Vinayagar temple died of abrupt heart arrest while being taken for a walk, activists allege sabotage by PETA and others

Several people have alleged that in the last few days, the elephant was being treated by a PETA veterinarian instead of a regular veterinarian, and she was kept confined denying her regular exercise
 |  Satyaagrah  |  Dharm / Sanskriti
Puducherry’s Darling Lakshmi Passes Away, Activists Allege Sabotage
Puducherry’s Darling Lakshmi Passes Away, Activists Allege Sabotage

Temple Elephant ‘Lakshmi’ of the Manakula Vinayagar Temple collapsed and passed away on 30 November 2022, when she was out for her morning walk. She was only 30 years old and was much loved by the people of Puducherry.

Lakshmi was walking in a lane along with her mahout when she fainted on the road. Veterinary doctors were rushed in to provide medical help but she passed away soon reportedly of cardiac arrest.

Hearing the news of Lakshmi’s demise, residents of Puducherry flocked to see their darling and have been paying tearful tributes.

The reason behind the sudden heart attack suffered by Laxmi was not clear. Twitter users started raising questions about her health condition and treatments. Several people have alleged that in the last few days, the elephant was being treated by a PETA veterinarian instead of a regular veterinarian. It is also alleged that Laxmi was given unknown injections. Many people also pointed out that due to the pressure of so-called animal rights activists Laxmi was kept confined and she was not allowed regular walks and other necessary physical exercises. This led to the deterioration of her health, people are alleging.

Indu Makkal Katchi tweeted, “Lakshmi was given 15 injections yesterday, says Ashok Rajan an animal activist. What were those injections, why was the regular doctor denied to treat her, and a PETA doc from Bangalore had to treat her?”

Temple activists and elephant activists have alleged foul play in the death of Lakshmi. S. Muralidharan, of Redefining Animal Welfare suspects sabotage by Indian Forest Service officer Vanjulavalli Sridhar and BJP’s Maneka Gandhi.

“On whose direction did she confine the elephant in the shed without walking & conduct a postmortem”, Muralidharan asked.

He alleged that Lakshmi was forcefully taken away from the Manakula Vinayagar Temple by Maneka Gandhi during the pandemic.

“We brought Lakshmi back with the help of then Puducherry Chief Minister Narayanasamy, Congress leader Americai Narayanan and Indu Makkal Katchi. But after that, Maneka exerted pressure on the Forest Department to keep the elephant confined not even allowing her to go for a walk. Because of that, she (Lakshmi) had water retention in her body due to which she suffered a heart attack and died today morning.”, the elephant activist said adding that Maneka Gandhi and the BJP government is responsible for the mess.

Temple activist Rangarajan Narasimhan has also raised suspicion over the death of Lakshmi.

Earlier, Lakshmi was displaced from her home in Manakula Vinayagar Temple by taking her away reportedly in an unethical and illegal manner. She was kept at Krishi Vigyan Kendra in a pathetic condition. Indu Makkal Katchi (IMK) mobilized a campaign to rescue Lakshmi from PETA. Congress’s Americai V. Narayanan, BJP Puducherry’s Ganesan and other members from various Hindu organizations protested the move to remove Lakshmi from the temple.  They had sought the intervention of Puducherry Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy to bring back Lakshmi home. Following this, Lakshmi was brought back to the Puducherry Manakkula Vinayagar Temple from the Kamaraj Agricultural Science Center in Kurumbapet.

References:

thecommunemag.com

Support Us


Satyagraha was born from the heart of our land, with an undying aim to unveil the true essence of Bharat. It seeks to illuminate the hidden tales of our valiant freedom fighters and the rich chronicles that haven't yet sung their complete melody in the mainstream.

While platforms like NDTV and 'The Wire' effortlessly garner funds under the banner of safeguarding democracy, we at Satyagraha walk a different path. Our strength and resonance come from you. In this journey to weave a stronger Bharat, every little contribution amplifies our voice. Let's come together, contribute as you can, and champion the true spirit of our nation.

Satyaagrah Razorpay PayPal
 ICICI Bank of SatyaagrahRazorpay Bank of SatyaagrahPayPal Bank of Satyaagrah - For International Payments

If all above doesn't work, then try the LINK below:

Pay Satyaagrah

Please share the article on other platforms

To Top

DISCLAIMER: The author is solely responsible for the views expressed in this article. The author carries the responsibility for citing and/or licensing of images utilized within the text. The website also frequently uses non-commercial images for representational purposes only in line with the article. We are not responsible for the authenticity of such images. If some images have a copyright issue, we request the person/entity to contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we will take the necessary actions to resolve the issue.


Related Articles