“Run, run, don’t look back!” — these were the terrified screams of devotees as a lone wild elephant stormed into the Velliangiri Andavar Temple at Poondi near Coimbatore yesterday, sparking panic.
The temple, located at the foothills of the Western Ghats, is a major pilgrimage site. Devotees are permitted to climb to the sacred seventh hill, where Lord Shiva is worshipped as a Swayambu, only during the months of February to May. The hill route has remained closed for the past five months.
Following the Ayudha Puja and Vijayadashami festivals, a large number of devotees had gathered at the Velliangiri Andavar Sannidhi at the foothills for darshan. The area houses puja shops and the temple’s food hall. In recent months, a lone wild elephant had repeatedly raided the annadhana kooda (food hall), damaging stored food. To control the situation, the Forest Department deployed a Kumki elephant, after which the tusker stayed away for some time.
But yesterday, the elephant returned in search of food, entering the temple premises. Shocked devotees fled the scene, shouting, “Run, run, don’t look back!” A devotee captured the tense moments on his cellphone, and the video has since gone viral on social media.
Devotees now demand that the Forest Department set up a permanent Kumki camp near the temple to prevent such dangerous incidents and to ensure safety for worshippers.
