<p>It was the emotional bonding that prompted a woman mahout from Kerala to offer rituals for a tusker at various temples and immerse its ashes in the Ganga at Kashi after an unexpected death.</p>.<p>Shabna Sulaiman, a native of Kozhikode in Kerala, quit her medical profession and started working with elephants. Being the granddaughter of a circus firm owner, she had even more reasons to be very affectionate with animals, especially elephants.</p>.<p>Her desire to be an elephant instructor was turned down by many elephant custodians citing reasons like it being a risky task for women. Finally, two years ago she got in touch with Palakkad-based elephant custodian Haridas Manissery who could realise her genuine interest to work with elephants.</p>.<p>Shabna said that among the three elephants being cared for by Haridas, she developed a special bonding with Manissery Raghuram. Despite being partially blind, it was very intelligent and used to show much affection. It even used to identify her by the sound of her vehicle, said Shabna, who is considered to be the first woman mahout from the Muslim community in Kerala and even India.</p>.<p>Shabna even used to accompany the elephant as its second mahout when it was taken to festivals. A couple of months ago Raghuram developed foot disease and it died on June 9 at the age of 53.</p>.<p>"We had been giving utmost care to the elephant and hence never expected that it would depart us so soon. I was in Bihar as part of penning a book on caring for elephants when Raghuram died. I am yet to come out of the grief. It was owing to the attachment that I felt like doing some rituals for the tusker. I expressed my desire to Hardias sir who used to care for him as if he were his own son and he agreed to it," Shabna told <em>DH</em>.</p>.<p>The ashes were taken to Varanasi and immersed in the Ganges on the 21st day of death. Rituals were also offered at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, including an offering of 53-litre milk marking its age and bookings for annual rituals for next 20 years. Rituals are also being offered at various Ganapathi temples in the name of Raghuram, said Shabna.</p>.<p><strong>Check out DH's latest videos:</strong></p>
<p>It was the emotional bonding that prompted a woman mahout from Kerala to offer rituals for a tusker at various temples and immerse its ashes in the Ganga at Kashi after an unexpected death.</p>.<p>Shabna Sulaiman, a native of Kozhikode in Kerala, quit her medical profession and started working with elephants. Being the granddaughter of a circus firm owner, she had even more reasons to be very affectionate with animals, especially elephants.</p>.<p>Her desire to be an elephant instructor was turned down by many elephant custodians citing reasons like it being a risky task for women. Finally, two years ago she got in touch with Palakkad-based elephant custodian Haridas Manissery who could realise her genuine interest to work with elephants.</p>.<p>Shabna said that among the three elephants being cared for by Haridas, she developed a special bonding with Manissery Raghuram. Despite being partially blind, it was very intelligent and used to show much affection. It even used to identify her by the sound of her vehicle, said Shabna, who is considered to be the first woman mahout from the Muslim community in Kerala and even India.</p>.<p>Shabna even used to accompany the elephant as its second mahout when it was taken to festivals. A couple of months ago Raghuram developed foot disease and it died on June 9 at the age of 53.</p>.<p>"We had been giving utmost care to the elephant and hence never expected that it would depart us so soon. I was in Bihar as part of penning a book on caring for elephants when Raghuram died. I am yet to come out of the grief. It was owing to the attachment that I felt like doing some rituals for the tusker. I expressed my desire to Hardias sir who used to care for him as if he were his own son and he agreed to it," Shabna told <em>DH</em>.</p>.<p>The ashes were taken to Varanasi and immersed in the Ganges on the 21st day of death. Rituals were also offered at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, including an offering of 53-litre milk marking its age and bookings for annual rituals for next 20 years. Rituals are also being offered at various Ganapathi temples in the name of Raghuram, said Shabna.</p>.<p><strong>Check out DH's latest videos:</strong></p>
