Magnificent Asian (Indian) elephant - my 1st time that I see one. Sooo beautiful creature!

My last visit to India was 9 years ago, in the winter of 2013 & 2014 when I stayed for 3 months - December, January & February. It magical back than but a lot of thing changed since than - both me & India.

All of these 9 years, India & coming back to this extraordinary & incredible place, were constantly in my mind... Kind of, I was making a 9 years mantra about coming back here. Especially in the year 2022, I was from the beginning of the year thinking about traveling but also I had a hard time love relationship & postponing my trip cause of the plans I was making with my ex partner. That toxic relationship, after all of heavy effort, fortunately ended so I was finally free to travel.

I landed just 4 days ago in Kempegovda, Bengaluru, rested for 2 nights & thinking to book a bus or a train to Varkala, Kerala. But I was also doubting between Gokarna & Kovalam. Then I also checked BlaBlaCar to see if maybe somebody is sharing a ride that I can hump on & the 1st magic happened! There was one car driving to Varkala & they had still space for me so I booked it & the driver approved it & that is how, hopefully, a beautiful friendship started!

The driver is Vipin & his wife is Neha - very nice people, educated, travelers also with who I was driving approximately 16 h for 700 km & we're still now hanging out. Finally we ended up in Kovalam.

Neha means "love", "affection", "rain" / "downpour", and is sometimes translated as "beautiful eyes" & Vipin means "forest". So, I would say that the Rain is pouring over Forest! And the Forest grows! It's so beautiful!

We had 2 more Indians sharing the ride - also well educated & respectful. One of them told us that the next few days is a Pongal Festival time & a holiday in Tamil Nadu, which the neighboring state to Kerala.

We came very late in the evening to Kovalam & found a last minute accommodation after which we caught a late dinner in a local street food restaurant & planned to go back to sleep but than this magic happened & the street was closed so we needed to wait for the festival procession passes. So we parked the car & decided to check it out & I used this opportunity to make some good photo with camera:

This elephant was really extra beautiful with those freckles on the trunk, head & ears. It can be seen that it is taken care very well.

But on the left eye of the elephant I could notice a cataract which might be the sign the the elephant is actually old.

The drummers were part of the parade & playing the ritual, traditional music.

The right eye of the elephant gave me the expression of angriness & that the elephant doesn't really want to be part of this human activity.

I also didn't like to see the chains constraining the elephant. I also don't like horse riding & I'm a vegetarian for more than 12 years so I don't like seeing animals serving people in any form. But it's not my right to interfere the other lives. Only to give example through my own behavior.

There is also a short video of the parade:

Coming back to India after 9 years is just overwhelming!

All the upper shots I made with Nikon D800 & Nikon AF Nikkor 35-70 mm lens.

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