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NASIK, INDIA, July 19, 2003: Preparations are under way for the Trayambakeshwar Kumbha Mela, the first Kumbha Mela of the 21st century, to be held in August at Nasik, Maharashtra. However, the organizers have run into a serious problem for Shivgaj, the 35-year-old elephant who was likely to lead the opening ceremony, is out with an injury. Shivgaj’s hind legs are injured due to the chains used to tie him for the past one month. Efforts are now on to ensure his speedy recovery. “The elephant is important as he resembles my God Ganapathy,” says caretaker Lakshmichandra Shinde. Shivgaj’s caretakers insist that he needs to be chained during these months, the mating season, as he often resorts to violence in his futile search for a mate. “If you leave him these days, then he will run around and toss all vehicles like so many footballs,” said Bhagwadgiri, a priest. Pilgrims and sadhus who have begun to assemble at the Trayambakeshwar Kumbha Mela site are hoping that Shivgaj will recover in time. The incident highlights the difficulty of keeping elephants in captivity, and the need for more humane systems of restraint than iron chains.