Lakshmi, the 'divine' elephant of Puducherry temple dies of cardiac arrest

The mahouts were shocked to see the elephant fall. Doctors who were called to the spot examined the elephant and declared it dead. They said that Lakshmi may have died due to a sudden cardiac arrest.

Puducherry: Lakshmi, the elephant of the famous Manakula Vinayagar Temple in Puducherry died of sudden cardiac arrest on Wednesday morning, while being taken on a stroll here.

The elephant collapsed near Calve College when she was on her morning walk. The video footage of Lakshmi fainting was recorded on the CCTV installed in the area. It shows the animal slowing down and suddenly collapsing on the road.

The mahouts were shocked to see the elephant fall. Doctors who were called to the spot examined the elephant and declared it dead. They said that Lakshmi may have died due to a sudden cardiac arrest even though the animal was in good health.

The body of the elephant Lakshmi was loaded into a truck by a crane and taken to the temple. With the news of the elephant's demise spreading like wildfire through social media, people from different parts of the union territory made a beeline to pay homage. People were also seen showering flower petals and placing wreaths on the mortal remains of the animal.

Police personnel were deployed in strength to control the crowd when the animal was lifted with the help of a crane to a truck. Manakula Vinayakar temple was the only shrine in Puducherry to own an elephant.

Governor of Telangana and LT Governor of Puducherry Tamilisai Soundararajan paid floral tributes to the body of the elephant. Tamilisai Soundararajan posted on his Twitter page, sharing pictures of receiving blessings from an elephant while visiting the Manakkula Vinayagar Temple, "I express my deepest condolences to the people of Puducherry who are suffering from the loss of Lakshmi the elephant and those who have come from far away places to befriend them."

Lakshmi's body was cremated in the evening at Kurusukuppam Akkasamy Mutt. A large number of people bid Lakshmi adieu away with tears. In 1995, Lakshmi, who was a 5-year-old then, was gifted to the Manakkula Vinayagar Temple by Janaki Raman, the former Chief Minister of Puducherry.

32-year-old Lakshmi was friendly with the people of Puducherry. The people of the area are deeply saddened by the sudden separation of the elephant that has been with them for so many years. Lakshmi's death has also raised questions about the health and weight of the temple elephants among forest activists.