Friday, March 1st, 2013

Big Ones

 

Mayapura,West Bengal

 

Hrimati is the name of a godsister of mine who was kind enough to act as a guide as I and several brahnacari monks ambled our way through the elephant reserve. Hrimati is credited for bringing the two elephant cows from Assam to the present location after the demise of Gulab Kali, the beloved mammal who had a long standing record for service.

 

We learned much from Hrimati, whose son Abhay managed his way on an ascent to the back of the elephant. In that regard, Abhay, whom I've known for years, is like Tarzan. What did we learn bout elephants?

 

Well there is this device called a kulsee made of jute which the trainer sets his foot in while riding on the elephants back. When he presses a certain way against the body of the elephant in one direction through the kulsee, the animal moves left and when the trainer presses for the right, the response goes accordingly. The foot also gestures to brake in order for the elephant to stop.

 

Elephants are very sensitive. They can remember a person by smelling their feet through the trunk.

The two female elephants were feeding when we approached them. One grabbed Daruka's flower garland and helped herself to the flowers for breakfast.

 

Males are tall and powerful. We couldn't help thinking of the great Vedic elephant heroes. We read about in the Vedas, such as Ganesh and Gajendra. Males have their mating season when they tend to be very aggressive. Hrimati was saying that in captivity the males tend to be impotent. If either of the two females were to receive semination it would likely mean they would have to be sent to a district where a herd lives in the wild.

 

There was information given, more than I'm able to delineate but what we did hear was enough to convince me that such a sophisticated creature is the product of a sophisticated Creator. My appreciation behind that work magnified to a much greater degree.

 

8 KM