This is a ubiquitous scene in temples down here. An elephant and a mahout. And of course, devotees laden with belief !
With a synchronized precision that will give a Russian gymnast some competition, the trunk is extended. A coin or two is propped into the trunk by the devotee. The trunk is then lifted and placed on the head of the devotee ! Blessings from the elephant God himself !
And of course, after some coins gather, the mahout has his way of getting the coin laden trunk to where he sits !
And at Meenakshi Amman temple, this elephant must have been doing this blessing act for some time now. For not only does the precision show, there is an elegance to it.
And the mahouts don’t even bother to stand. Any management type would be quick to classify this as a ” ‘mature process’ that runs by itself !”
Animal rights activists could cry foul. Mahouts hear a divine music in the coins that a wave of a trunk can bring. The devotee seeks blessings with faith. The elephant perhaps is now accustomed to be a stand in for God himself.
Of course, all in the name of God ! Who looks on. Perhaps with a smile. At his own creations. And their many actions.