Grant and I really wanted to see an elephant while we were in India. When you think of India, don't you think of elephants? Well right in the middle of town stood an elephant munching away on leaves off a tree in the middle of a busy road. I couldn't believe it! Albert said that we'd see one but secretly I didn't believe him. But there she stood - just like I had imagined. We HAD to stop! Of course! So after looking her over and touching her and asking all kinds of questions, Grant and Jasmine decided they wanted to take a little ride...
Don't you just love the way they paint them! (Their hair is prickly.)
There was some tugging and pulling involved to get Grant up there. Jasmine - we just gave her a toss!
Off they go!
Isn't Jasmine the cutest thing!
So what's up with all the elephants? Well one of the Hindu gods is named Ganesh. His father, Rama, was also a god and one day he got mad at his son and cut his head off. After he did it, he felt bad so he put the head of an elephant on the body of his son. Today, Ganesh is known to be the god of success. There are actually hundreds of gods in the Hindu religion but Ganesh is one of the favorites. Elephants obviously represent him and offering gifts to the elephant is like offering gifts to Ganesh himself. While Grant and Jasmin rode the elephant, several people stopped her to give her an offering. One man, leaning out of his car window, gave me an offering to give her as he drove by. (Her nose tickles when she takes something from your hand. Oh, and it's wet too.)
Statues of Ganesh in the temples.
The bell hanging above the man is there to alert Ganesh that someone has come to worship him.
Grant and I really wanted to see an elephant while we were in India. When you think of India, don't you think of elephants? Well right in the middle of town stood an elephant munching away on leaves off a tree in the middle of a busy road. I couldn't believe it! Albert said that we'd see one but secretly I didn't believe him. But there she stood - just like I had imagined. We HAD to stop! Of course! So after looking her over and touching her and asking all kinds of questions, Grant and Jasmine decided they wanted to take a little ride...
Don't you just love the way they paint them! (Their hair is prickly.)
There was some tugging and pulling involved to get Grant up there. Jasmine - we just gave her a toss!
Off they go!
Isn't Jasmine the cutest thing!
So what's up with all the elephants? Well one of the Hindu gods is named Ganesh. His father, Rama, was also a god and one day he got mad at his son and cut his head off. After he did it, he felt bad so he put the head of an elephant on the body of his son. Today, Ganesh is known to be the god of success. There are actually hundreds of gods in the Hindu religion but Ganesh is one of the favorites. Elephants obviously represent him and offering gifts to the elephant is like offering gifts to Ganesh himself. While Grant and Jasmin rode the elephant, several people stopped her to give her an offering. One man, leaning out of his car window, gave me an offering to give her as he drove by. (Her nose tickles when she takes something from your hand. Oh, and it's wet too.)
Statues of Ganesh in the temples.
The bell hanging above the man is there to alert Ganesh that someone has come to worship him.
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