temple elephants

[byronicman]

This is at the Sri Jambukeswara Shiva temple in Tamil
Nadu.



At all the major Shiva temples in South India there
are temple elephants. They are usually around the
entrance to the main complex, where they stand guard,
greet, and best of all bless everyone who enters. If
you give the elephant a donation they will also
physically bless you with their trunk. What you do is
hold out a rupee in your hand. The elephant takes the
coin with the tip of its trunk and then bonks you on
top of the head in blessing. This elephant had just come back from being on
vacation at the Mudumalai Elephant that i posted photos of a couple weeks ago!

Girl getting bonked and blessed by the temple
elephant.





This girl got freaked out and started to scream. It
was a giddy scared girly scream.



Some timid girls looking at the elephant.



Guy getting blessed by the temple elephant.