readersdigest.co.in 57festival, Pooram, which takes place
in April–May every year. There are
elephant processions, parasol parades
and a thunderous symphony of drums!
Elephants are a big part of Pooram, and
Thrissur boasts several fan clubs for the
magnificent creatures. The tallest and
most dignified temple elephant is the
55-year-old Thechikottukavu Ramach-
andran, who towers at 10.5 feet and has
his own Facebook page!
Devotees were terribly disheartened
however, when authorities forbade
the partially blind animal from taking
part in the event last year citing health
concerns. But the love of tens of thou-
sands of fans, who eagerly anticipate
the spectacle of Ramachandran walk-
ing among massive crowds for hours
on end, would not be denied. A huge
media campaign reversed the verdict
and he was allowed to open the festivi-
ties. Stars must bow to fans sometimes!
—K. Muraleedharan, ThrissurTo err is human, but to wander off is ... bovine!Only inJodhpur
To err is human, to forgive divine,
but to wander off is ... bovine
In an unexpected turn of events, a
cow was produced before a local court
in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, over a dispute.
Turns out, the issue arose between a
police constable and a teacher over
the ownership of the prized bovine.
The judge carried out a physical
inspection of the cow and adjourned
the case at first. At the next hearing,
however, the cow was let loose
so it could find its way home. It
purposefully made its way to the
constable's house and, voila, its
ownership was decided!
—Spotted by Deepak Purohit, Bhopal
Only inThrissur
Where there are elephants, there
are ele-fans.
A small, sleepy town in Kerala, Thris-
sur is famous for its annual temple