24 March 2018

Report about Ruku Death



The elephant, after blessing devotees as usual on Wednesday, was taken for rest to a spot near the temple’s Tirumanjana Gopuram in the fifth prakaram. When she reached the spot, a fight broke out between some dogs, one of whom ran between Rukku’s legs. The scared elephant ran and hit its head against a metal wall and fell down. 

A local veterinarian who examined her said she would be alright soon despite injuries in the left eye and body. However, Rukku died around midnight. A team of veterinarians took the animal’s blood samples and sent them for tests to the central government’s lab in Chennai.

A local favourite, Rukku was the cynosure during major temple functions, according to temple officials. During the Karthigai Deepam festival, the container (copra) in which the festival fire would be lit, would be carried to the top of the 2,660-ft high Annamalai hills only after Rukku blessed it. 

Born in Mudumalai on April 30, 1988, Rukku was gifted to the temple by former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in August 1995. The elephant was buried after last rites near the Hanuman temple. Due to the elephant’s death, poojas and abishekam were cancelled and would be restarted only after parikaram was done, officials said. 

On hearing the news, students and devotees rushed to the spot.

Link for the above report 

 

1 comment:

Meenakshi Ammal said...

As soon as I get more information about Rukku, I will post it on Arunachala Grace.

In every online news report I have read of Rukku's death, she is referred to as not "she" or "her" but "it". In each case (before posting on Arunachala Grace) I replace the neuter pronoun with the personal pronoun. Respect please. An elephant is a highly evolved sentient being . . it is not an accoutrement. It is not an "it".