A pall of gloom descended on the Bhavani town following the death of 44-year-old Vedanayaki, the female elephant of Sri Sangameswarar Temple. Thousands of devotees, temple staff and the public paid their last respects after which the carcass was buried along River Cauvery, near the temple, here on Friday.
The elephant, suffering from a tumour on the leg, and other ailments for the past three years lost the battle for survival at 5.10 a.m. The temple was closed for worship and devotees were allowed to pay homage to the carcass.
As the news spread, people cutting across religious lines paid their last respects by placing garlands and wreaths and condoled the death of the elephant.
Many devotees, who used to offer banana and fruits regularly to the elephant wept and said that they felt they had lost one of their family members. Shopkeepers in the temple area and Ayyappa devotees, who visit the temple frequently expressed their grief over the loss.
Mahout Selvan (61) said that the elephant was brought to the temple as a three-and-a-half-year-old calf in 1980 and had endeared itself with lakhs of devotees.
In the afternoon, the carcass was lifted with the help of a crane and placed in a lorry, decorated with flowers, and taken around the Car Streets.
Thousands of devotees and the public stood along the road and paid final tributes. Later, the carcass was taken to the burial spot where K. Ashokan, wildlife veterinarian of Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve, conducted autopsy. The carcass was buried at around 4.15 p.m. after which a special puja was performed at the temple.
