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.
