elephant skin

while i was sand-walking for a few days
at cherai beach outside of kochi in kerala..
the timing proved impeccable..
an utsavam!
an elephant festival..

it started with a competition~
which elephant was the tallest?
we arrived at 8 am to find two elephants
standing side by side..
one definitely had the edge..
but the show must go on..
the one who won the tallest award
would carry the idol at the main event that afternoon.
with lots of cheering and pumping of arms,
the crowd egged on the pair..
indeed, they both did stretch and find a few more feet..
however, the bigger one was the bigger one!

the smaller one gently bowed out..
such a humble tip of the head..
voting for the small one myself..
i closed in to rub elbows with the wonder..
o my o .. the skin is so thick..so used..so precious!

later that afternoon,
we arrived just as they were heading in..
on the narrow streets were 3 elephants..
side by side..all dressed up and heading to the temple grounds.
on top of them were cheer-leading priests..
in front of them,
leading the way were more priests..
drumming..
playing horns the shape of elephant trunks..
coming from the opposite direction,
3 more elephants..also taking up the entire road..
lead by the drummers..
whose hands moved like elephant trunks..
more trunk-shaped horns..
flames from holy lamps..

everyone was encouraged to feed these gentle, ginormous ones!
we bought watermelons and handed them over
to the trunks themselves.
they rolled up the melon curling their trunks,
then the tongue got in the action and crush! melon-ade!

once inside the temple grounds,
two rows of fifteen elephants stood facing one another..
all the while the priests kept changing the parasols..
all different colours, all different textures..
such a sight to behold..in the middle...

on the way home,
i stretched out to tickle a tusk..
scolded mightily, i was..
worth the reprimand..
the tusk is holy ..
may it be just so!

OM GANESHIYA NAMAHA!