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India: A herd of 24 wild elephants guzzle on mahua, doze off in Odisha forest
BY S VENKAT NARAYAN
Our Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI, November 12: People of a village in Odisha in eastern India went inside a forest to prepare ‘mahua’, a traditional country liquor, but found that a herd of elephants already devoured the water fermented with the intoxicating flowers and were in deep sleep.The villagers living near Shilipada cashew forest in Keonjhar district saw that a total of 24 jumbos, who were apparently drunk, were fast asleep near the place where mahua flowers were kept in water in large pots for fermentation.
The flowers of Mahua tree (Madhuca longifolia) are fermented to produce an alcoholic drink, also called Mahua. Tribal men and women in various parts of India traditionally make this liquor.
“We went into the jungle at around 6 am to prepare mahua and found that all the pots were broken and the fermented water is missing. We also found that the elephants were sleeping. They consumed the fermented water and got drunk,” Naria Sethi, a villager, said.There were nine tuskers, six females and nine calves.
“That liquor was unprocessed. We tried to wake up the animals but failed. The forest department was then informed,” he said.
Forest department personnel reaching the spot in the jungle under the Patana forest range. They had to beat drums to wake the herd up.
The startled elephants woke up and went deep inside the forest, said Ghasiram Patra, the forest ranger.The herd left the place at around 10 am.The forest official, however, is not sure whether the elephants got drunk after consuming fermented mahua.
“Maybe, they were just resting there,” Patra said.
Villagers, on the other hand, insisted that they spotted the elephants sleeping in intoxicated conditions at various places close to the broken pots on Tuesday.
Pope Leo XIV appealed for “no more war” in a message to world powers during his first Sunday address at the Vatican.
Reflecting on current conflicts, the newly selected pontiff called for a “lasting peace” in the war in Ukraine, a ceasefire in Gaza, and welcomed Saturday’s agreement to end recent hostilities between India and Pakistan.
He said he was “deeply hurt” by events in Gaza, expressed hope for a “lasting accord” between India and Pakistan, and wished for a “authentic, true and lasting peace” in Ukraine.
The Pope also recited the Regina Caeli prayer, in honour of the Virgin Mary, to the crowd in St Peter’s Square.
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May this Vesak celebration be a blessed one filled with kindness and compassion towards all living beings – PM
In her Vesak day message, Prime Minister Dr Harini Amarasuriya wished that this Vesak celebration be a blessed one filled with kindness and compassion towards all living beings
The full text of the prime ministers vesak day message:
“It is an honor to extend my Vesak day message to all citizens of the nation during this sacred period in which Buddhist community across Sri Lanka come together to pay homage to the Lord Buddha, upholding both material and spiritual offerings and commemorating the threefold sacred events of the Lord Buddha’s life.
Since ancient times, the lives of the Sri Lankan people have been deeply rooted by the teaching of the Lord Buddha and this is a greater inheritance we have received through the Dhamma. In our country, where people of diverse ethnicities and religions coexist in harmony, the collective celebration of a major religious festival such as Vesak stands as a powerful testament to that unity.
This year Vesak day celebration marks the first to be celebrated under the current government, which was established with the vision of “A Prosperous Country, a Beautiful Life.” I believe that this Vesak season is a particularly a time to heal the hearts and minds of humanity, especially as our nation embarks on a path of meaningful transformation. Through this message, I take this opportunity to invite all of citizens to unite in mind and spirit, bound together by mutual respect and compassion.
I join all Sri Lankans in praying that the flames of war burning in various parts of the world at this moment may be extinguished, and that all people across the globe may be blessed with lives of happiness and peace.
May all of you have a blessed Vesak!”
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Special waste management programme launched under “Clean Sri Lanka” during the State Vesak Festival
Parallel with the State Vesak Festival that commenced on Saturday (10) in the Nuwara Eliya District, a special waste management initiative has been launched under the “Clean Sri Lanka” programme to enhance facilities for devotees and ensure proper waste disposal in the city of Nuwara Eliya.
With hundreds of thousands of people expected to visit Nuwara Eliya during the Vesak Week, from May 10 to 16, this initiative is aimed at preserving the cleanliness and beauty of the area.
The programme will focus particularly on areas around the Gregory Lake, a key tourist attraction, and the Nuwara Eliya International Buddhist Centre, the venue for the State Vesak Festival.
In addition, the “Clean Sri Lanka” initiative urges visiting devotees to refrain from bringing non-biodegradable material such as polythene and calls on all citizens to act responsibly by properly disposing of waste only at designated locations, while maintaining the sanctity and cleanliness of the environment.
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