TIRUCHI, INDIA, December 5, 2024 (The Hindu): A bathing pond and other facilities for 33-year-old Lakshmi – the temple elephant of the Arulmigu Thayumanaswamy temple, Rockfort, at Tiruchi has been created in a spacious piece of land belonging to the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments department at Devadhanam. The new facilities have been created at a total cost of US$59,000 through donor contributions on the piece of land measuring approximately .69 acres. Sprinklers to splash waters have been provided around the bathing pond nearby a couple of borewells have been sunk to draw groundwater in order to fill the pond. A ramp made of concrete has been provided to enable the elephant to get inside the pond to have a splash.

The bathing pond has been constructed in a spacious manner for the pachyderm to move freely inside and lie in the pool of water. A sand stage with a ramp and a water tank has also been created inside the sprawling area for the jumbo. A separate shelter to house the jumbo in the near future is being created within the facility, a temple official said, adding that plans are afoot to create a walking path inside. The entire facility has been fenced. Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department Minister P.K. Sekar Babu inaugurated the bathing pond on Monday in the presence of the temple officials and a section of devotees.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Tiruchirapalli/rockfort-temples-lakshmi-gets-its-own-bathing-pond/article68950740.ece

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