1st May
2020 has not dawned well .. today, Tamil
Nadu recorded its highest single-day jump of 203 cases with Chennai accounting
for 176 fresh Coronavirus-infected people even as clusters such as the
Koyambedu vegetable market in the capital metropolis turned a huge challenge
for health officials. The high numbers were accompanied by increased testing:
Tamil Nadu sent 9615 samples in the 24 hours ending Friday evening, inching
towards its target of sending 10,000 samples every day. The state has tested
over 1.29 lakh samples so far, counting among the states such as Maharashtra
which gotten into extensive testing mode.
Chennai is the
largest hotspot in the state with 1082 cases. Reports have emerged that one of
the primary vegetable wholesale markets in Koyambedu is one of the reasons for
Coronavirus spread. Areas in North Chennai such as Royapuram and Tondiarpet
continue to report more cases. .. .. .. and there are fears as some cases have
been reported in Triplicane too – one part of Venkatrangam Street leading to
Krishnampet, has reported no. of cases.
.. .. and as there are no other options,
lockdown is extended for another 14 days !
In a first, oral sample of a baby elephant of
Rajaji Tiger Reserve in Uttarakhand was sent for the COVID 19 test after the
pachyderm was diagnosed with symptoms of viral infection. According to news reports, six elephants were
kept at Chilla facility falling inside the tiger reserve. Among the group, two
elephants including one baby elephant named Sultan fell ill. On further
examination, Sultan was found having swelling on his eyelids and mouth ulcers. Chief
Medical Officer of Haridwar was informed , a team of health experts visited the
facility and sanitized the entire place. The other animals in the herd were
sent back to the forest while staff has been deployed to look after the ill
pachyderm.
Elephants
always attract me. An adult African
elephant's trunk is about seven feet (two meters) long! It's actually an
elongated nose and upper lip. Like most noses, trunks are for smelling. When an
elephant drinks, it sucks as much as 2 gallons (7.5 liters) of water into its
trunk at a time. Then it curls its trunk under, sticks the tip of its trunk
into its mouth, and blows. Out comes the water, right down the elephant's
throat. An elephant's trunk is a fusion
of its upper lip and its nose. Filled with more than 100,000 muscles, this huge
appendage is both powerful and extremely dexterous. An elephant can use its
trunk to rip a limb from a tree or to pick up a single blade of grass.
There
are cruel countries which legitimize killing. Botswana hides
behind national “sovereignty” while selling off its natural heritage to foreign
hunters and treating elephants as mere commodities. In Feb 2020 the government
of Botswana auctioned off the right to hunt and kill 60 elephants — the first
salvo toward a quota that aimed to allow the trophy hunting of 272 elephants
this year. Plans for those hunts, which
would have been the first since the country’s 2013 hunting moratorium, were put
on hold in late March by the worldwide pandemic when Botswana banned travelers
from the United States and other “high-risk” countries. But the Botswana
Wildlife Producers Association, which represents the hunting industry, quickly
asked for an extension of this year’s hunting season. If the COVID-19 lockdowns
end sometime soon, the bullets could quickly begin flying on the hapless
elephants.
How
do people call these killings a sport ? Botswana
is a cash-strapped nation, so one can perhaps understand the short-term
attraction of trophy hunting. The government made $2.3 million in a few hours
on that February afternoon from selling 60 elephants at an average of $39,000
per head.
The pandemic has
not slowed this thirst for short-term profits. On 27 March, just a few days
after Botswana closed its borders, it reportedly auctioned off additional
hunting rights for 15 elephants, two leopards and dozens of other animals for a
total of $540,000. The Nation pathetically is not understanding its pride,
culture nor the value of the pachyderms.
These magnificent creatures have
potent intrinsic value, the are required more for greater ecological balance.
At Thiruvallikkeni
divyadesam, for Sri Parthasarathi
Perumal and Sri Thelliya Singar brahmothsavam day 6 evening is ‘Yaanai vahanam’ - majestic elephant in sitting posture with golden hue.
திருவல்லிக்கேணியில்
சிறப்புற நடைபெறும் தெள்ளியசிங்கர் ப்ரம்மோத்சவத்தில் ஆறாம் நாள் இரவு கம்பீரமான யானை வாகனம். திருவல்லிக்கேணி யானை வாஹனம் அமர்ந்த
நிலையில், தங்க பூச்சுடன் ஜொலிக்கும். வாகனத்தின் மீது வெண்பட்டுடுத்தி, பெருமாள் பின்பு
பட்டர் அமர்ந்து சாமரம் வீசி வருவது தனி சிறப்பு. யானை வாயில் வாழை மரங்கள் வைத்து,
நிஜமான களிறு ஓடி வருவதைப் போல் இருக்கும்.
யானை வாகன புறப்பாட்டில் 'ஏசல்", "ஒய்யாளி" என்று அழைக்கப்படும் சிறப்பு உண்டு.
Here
are some photos of the Yanai vahana
purappadu of Sri Thelliya Singar.
The photos here are of 2018 Brahmothsavam and yanai vahanam on
28.6.2018. We pray to our Lord Azhagiya
Singa on Yanai vahanam to protect His bakthas and eradicate completely the
dread Covid 19 virus. Let us fall at His
feet and our Saviour will take care of the Universe.
adiyen
Srinivasadhasan
Mamandur Veeravalli
Srinivasan Sampathkumar
1.5.2020.
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