Puja spreads 'save the elephants' message

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Orissa's Gaja-Lakshmi puja spreads 'save jumbos' message

 

By Sarada Lahangir

Bhubaneswar, Oct.28

 

Organisers at the makeshift temples, set up during the

ongoing Gaja-Lakshmi puja here, are drawing public

attention towards the killings of several pachyderms in the

State in the recent times through a " Save the Elephants "

campaign.

 

Statues of 50 elephants have been put up at a popular make-

shift temple here by a group of sculpture students to draw

public attention on their deplorable condition.

 

During the week-long Gaja-Lakshmi Puja, Lord Ganesha

and Goddess Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth, are

worshipped by devotees visiting the make-shift temples.

 

" We wanted to give a message that today the elephant is an

unprotected animal. Poachers are hunting them for their

teeth [tusks]. And, many elephants die in the forests due to

various reasons, the news of which does not even reach

people or forest officials. We want the elephant should be

protected, " said Sanak Nayak, the organiser of the makeshift

temple.

 

" Nearly 50 elephants [i.e. the replicas] are coming out of a

jungle to pay obeisance to the Goddess since they are her

devotees as well, " Nayak added.

 

These elephant replicas have been put up around Goddess

Lakshmi idols and captivating devotees' attention. All have

appreciated an attempt for a good cause.

 

" When people pay obeisance to the Goddess, they will also

learn how these animals are being killed rapidly for

convenience and use of human being. This message will

reach adults as well as children who come along here.

Otherwise, the day is not far away when we will fail to find

any elephant around, " said Kanak Kar, a devotee.

 

Moreover, Hindus worship Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth

on Diwali along with the Lord Ganesha to seek wealth and

prosperity. She is described to have emerged during

mythological churning of the ocean between Gods and

Demons, sits on a lotus flower.

 

The Gaja-Lakshmi Puja will conclude on November 3.

 

Orissa has an estimated 1,800 elephants, but its shrinking

habitat force the animal cross over the human settlements,

often coming in conflict with man.

 

At least 151 elephants were poached in the state between

1991- 2001 while 125 elephants are believed to have died of

natural reasons or epidemics.

 

The State environment and forest ministry has drawn up a

Project Elephant to conserve the Asiatic elephant population

in the country.

 

India has an estimated 30,000 wild and captive elephants.

 

Many captured elephants end up in the Hindu temples,

particularly in the South India where they are viewed as a

symbol of prosperity and participated in ceremonies.

 

http://www.dailyindia.com/show/186517.php/Orissas-Gaja-

Lakshmi-puja-spreads-save-jumbos-message

or

http://tinyurl.com/2hhmfx

[Guest guest]

Gaja Lakshmi is also a Buddhist deity, found on temples in Madhya Pradesh

from 100 BCE. Gaja Lakshmi is the form of " Abhishekam of Mahalakshmi, "

identified by Coomaraswami as associating Lakshmi with life giving rainfall.

Upturned vessels in the Gajalakshmi portraits are also denoting the fullness

of youth as able to hold rain, and in the esoteric and Vedic sense, this

form of Lakshmi is associated with Soma and Immortality. Vessel of soma,

full of nectar, this is the body of the bliss of the yogin. Jai Ma!