Arunachaleswarar temple elephant in Tiruvannamalai named ‘Namasivayam’
Ministers named the elephant in the presence of Collector Vandhana Garg and S. Bharanidharan, Joint Commissioner (JC), HR&CE (Tiruvannamalai)
On September 24, the Arunachaleswarar Temple in Tiruvannamalai received an elephant from Assam, who was initially named 'Hiralal'. Temple officials later renamed the majestic creature 'Namasivayam' during an inspection by two key ministers.
Aadhav Arjuna, the Minister for Public Works and Sports Development, and Ramesh, the Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE), visited the small arena where the elephant resided at the temple. Collector Vandhana Garg and S. Bharanidharan, Joint Commissioner (JC), HR&CE (Tiruvannamalai) were also present during this naming ceremony.
Upon arrival, the elephant was called 'Hiralal' by HR&CE officials. However, after the name change, devotees were granted permission to view the elephant within the temple premises. Safety measures were implemented around the resting area to ensure the well-being of temple visitors.
The temple had acquired the deceased female elephant, Rukumani, from Mudumalai Reserve Forest in 1995 when she was a seven-year-old. She remained at the temple until her passing in 2018, spending a total of 27 years in Tiruvannamalai.
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