The trained elephant on which King Kansa sits during the Bargarh Dhanu Yatra, its mahut and his helper, stranded at Sabdega block in Sundargarh district for more than a month, have been asked to leave the place soon by forest officials.
While the elephant has been frail without food and the two persons accompanying it are going hungry, the harshness of the authorities has shocked many here.
The forest officials instead of providing necessary support to the mahut drove away the trio.
According to sources, Nageswarnath Ojha, a resident of Uttar Pradesh, is the mahut of elephant, Tej Bahadur. One Raju Ojha works as helper with Nageswarnath. Elephant Tej Bahadur is a known face in
Bargarh as this elephant comes every year to Bargarh for king Kansa during the Dhanu Yatra. Tej Bahadur carrying the king and mahut visits the length and breadth of the town.
After end of the event, while Nageswarnath was returning with Raju and Tej Bahadur, he got stuck at Ghutupada in Sabdega block due to the lockdown and they could not proceed further. The trio had to stay there and whatever money Nageswarnath had earned from Dhanu Yatra was exhausted in the meantime.
Some kind hearted local youths gave shelter to Nageswarnath and Raju in a club house and Nageswarnath left elephant Tej Bahadur in a nearby field. Tej also did not get sufficient food due to which health condition started deteriorating.
Looking at the pathetic condition of the innocent animal and Nageswarnath and Raju, locals were demanding that necessary permission be provided to them to proceed towards Uttar Pradesh.
On Monday, when Subdega forest range officials came to know about the stranded elephant, they reached Ghutuparada and reportedly told mahut Nageswarnath to leave the place without further delay. They also told Nageswarnath to take the elephant to a forest so that the pachyderm will get food there.
Finding no other alternative, Nageswarnath left the place on Tuesday morning, which has worried locals.
“Block officials and forest officials here should have come forward to help the trio in this critical hour and should have arranged necessary permission for them to go to their native place but it was not done,” said Rohit, a local.
“We came to know that without sufficient food, the elephant was not keeping proper health and therefore we told the mahut of the elephant to take the elephant to forest so that it can get food,” said Forester, Subdega forest range, Anil Purohit.
“We also provided some grocery items to Nageswarnath, for carrying with him, which will help him during journey,” added Purohit.