Stars power Jaya's Gaja Poojai plans

MUDHUMALAI: Tamil Nadu CM J Jayalalithaa’s love for elephants is no secret. In fact, her visit to Guruvayur temple to donate an elephant is believed to be prompted by an astrological prediction.
As such, her recent decision to grant a month-long holiday for the elephants here has also come under media scanner, which finds an astrological connection of ‘Gaja Poojai’ in the entire exercise.
Meanwhile, Dr K C Panicker, who is overseeing the health of elephants here, revealed that a ‘Gaja Poojai’ indeed was to take place in Tamil Nadu in which 108 tuskers from Kerala were to take part.
He said, officials from Swayambhoo Easwarar Varadaraja Perumal Thirukkoyil at Velakaundampatti had approached him with a request to supply elephants for the pooja. ‘‘They came some two months back,’’ said Panicker. ‘‘Initially, they wanted 108 elephants. I told them, I would be able to supply only 54. Later, I went to the temple where the pooja was to be held and found it suitable. After this, I’ve not heard anything from them.’’
The president of Varadaraja Perumal temple, S Chinnaswamy confirmed that ‘Gaja Poojai’ was indeed on the cards. ‘‘We wanted to hold it during mid December,’’ he said. ‘‘But we discarded the idea since inter-state movement of elephants was a big problem. Hence, the ‘poojai’ now has been redesigned as Nandhi-Go-Aswa-Maha Velvi Yagam, scheduled to take place on January 30 and 31.�
The month-long holiday for elephants would come to a close during mid-December, thus indicating that the ‘Gaja Poojai’, as scheduled, would take place, if not at Velakaundampatti, at Mudhumalai.