The Elephant Pongal festival was celebrated with great enthusiasm at the Topslip Kozhikamuthi elephant camp in Pollachi, with 26 domesticated elephants receiving special honors and treats.
Coimbatore: At the Topslip Kozhikamuthi elephant camp, part of the Anamalai Tiger Reserve in the Western Ghats of Pollachi, the Elephant Pongal festival was celebrated with much fervor. This annual event is organized to express gratitude to the elephants that assist in various forest department tasks. During the festival, elephants were bathed, adorned with dots (pottu), and garlanded as a sign of respect. The elephants also performed a ceremonial bow to Lord Vinayagar. Traditional Pongal was cooked in earthen pots by the mountain residents, offered to the Sun God, and shared with the elephants. The elephants enjoyed treats like sugarcane, bananas, and a mix of horse gram, ragi, and rice. The festival attracted numerous tourists from different districts of Tamil Nadu.