The life of a celebrity !

As Lakshmanan slowly makes his way into the courtyard, a respectful chorus of greetings erupts. For Lakshmanan is the oldest, the most experienced and therefore the wisest elephant in the Annakotta. This 78-year-old giant is more than 9.5 feet tall and weighs about 5.7 tons. The story of his life has been filled with a variety of colorful experiences.

Lakshmanan was born and grew up in the jungles of Assam. He was captured when he was 8 years old - a lot older than most young elephants when caught. Adjusting to life in captivity after spending so many years of freedom in the jungle was hard at first. But Lakshmanan was a surprisingly even-tempered elephant. He took it all in his stride and coped very well.

But, Lakshmanan’s greatest achievement was his role in a Malayalam film. It was quite an experience and Lakshmanan enjoyed every minute of it. It was easy work. All he had to do was obey the few simple commands his mahout gave him. The best part of course, was the petting and pampering he received during the shooting and not to forget the delicious foodstuffs offered by cine artists; alas that was almost a decade ago. 

Today, Lakshmanan has retired from his active life since he crossed the age of 70 . His age has made his skin dry and brittle and as a result, blisters form very easily. Every day after his bath, his mahouts bring out huge buckets of cream and lotion, which they slather all over him. Needless to say, he loves this. His tusks are cleaned and filed down before they grow too long.

Nowadays, he is content to munch on leaves and regale the youngsters with fascinating tales of his younger days. To the older elephants, he is a storehouse of wisdom and they often seek his advice on problems they face. Elephants usually live up to 80 years and at 78, Lakshmanan hopes to make a difference to be a legend in crossing this estimated age barrier as he waits and relaxes in the humid heat of the post monsoon season.
 

Story by Catherene and Sojan