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Hindustan Times
24-05-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Tamil Nadu's beloved elephant Akhila turns 23, celebrated with traditional rituals
Akhila, the revered temple elephant of the Thiruvanaikoil Jambukeswarar Akilandeswari Temple in Trichy, celebrated her 23rd birthday on Saturday with traditional rituals and festive cheer, drawing large crowds of devotees. Born in 2002, Akhila was brought to the temple in 2011 during the tenure of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa to assist in temple rituals and ceremonies. Since then, she has been an integral part of the temple's daily activities. To mark her birthday, the temple authorities organised a special celebration in the temple garden. Akhila was decorated and brought in ceremoniously. Priests performed special poojas for her, and the celebration was attended by mahouts, temple staff, priests, and a large number of devotees. Also Read | Why Karnataka handed over Kumki elephants to Andhra Pradesh? A step to curb rising human-elephant conflicts Devotees sang birthday wishes in unison and offered Akhila a feast consisting of fruits, vegetables, jaggery sweets, and traditional delicacies like kozhukattai. Additionally, earlier today, in a vibrant display of tradition and devotion, people from different adjoining villages gathered at the Kallandhiri village near Melur to celebrate the centuries-old fishing festival. According to the rituals, the fish caught by the villagers are offered to the deity for better harvest and health. The festival is celebrated every year with the onset of the summer season. Also Read | Grieving mother elephant refuses to budge, stands for hours by her calf killed by truck in Malaysia Meanwhile, as part of the annual festival of Sri Pidari Amman Temple in Thiruvarankulam near Pudukkottai, a spectacular Jallikattu event was organised on Friday, drawing massive crowds and enthusiastic participants. The event saw the participation of 750 bulls and 300 tamers from various districts across Tamil Nadu. The event, held with great fervor, showcased the bravery and skill of the participants as they attempted to hold on to the humps of the charging bulls. The spectators cheered loudly as the bulls, adorned with colourful decorations, displayed their strength and agility. Jallikattu, a symbol of Tamil heritage, continues to be a major attraction during the Pongal season and temple festivals. Elephants lovingly shield caretaker from rain in viral video: 'Don't worry, everything will be okay' The bull-taming event is an ancient sport played as part of the harvest festival, Pongal, in several parts of Tamil Nadu. It is a traditional event in which a bull is released into a crowd of people, and multiple human participants attempt to grab the large hump on the bull's back to tame it. In January this year, the world-renowned three-day Jallikattu event in Tamil Nadu's Madurai kicked off with Avaniyapuram village holding its first-day event, which features 1,100 bulls and 900 bull-tamers. The best bull was awarded a tractor worth ₹11 lakhs, while the best bull-tamer received a car worth ₹8 lakhs, alongside other prizes. The other two Jallikattu events in Madurai were held at Palamedu and Alanganallur.
Time of India
05-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Attacks on workers rising in ‘anti-trader' DMK govt: EPS
Chennai: Accusing DMK of being anti-trader, general secretary on Monday said the rival party strategically divided traders "by using a few traders who favour it". He said AIADMK, under J Jayalalithaa, opposed FDI in retail, while DMK supported it during a parliamentary vote, a move the trading community would not forget and forgive. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Addressing a meeting of Tamil Nadu Anaithu Vanigar Sangangalin Peramaippu on 42nd Traders Day, the former chief minister expressed concerns about the safety of traders under the current dispensation. He said traders were being attacked on their own business premises. "There is a rise in attacks against traders by anti-socials whenever DMK is in office," he said, pointing to media reports of attacks, robberies, and govt officials "intentionally" harassing traders during business hours under the guise of continuous inspections, and traders holding protests against the govt for lack of action in areas such as Kancheepuram. Palaniswami urged the state govt to prioritise the security of small businesses and called for tax relief for local businesses struggling to compete with modern technological advancements. "If any deficiencies are found during the inspection conducted by the authorities while transporting goods in a truck, the traders complain that a fine equivalent to the total amount of goods in the truck or double the value of the goods is imposed. This should be avoided," Palaniswami said, requesting govt to cease penalising traders during "test purchases" conducted by commercial tax staff. He reiterated the need for traders across the state to remain united. This unity, he argued, is crucial to prevent the entry of multinational companies into the retail sector and contain the dominance of corporations.
Hindustan Times
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
DMK faces formidable challenge as AIADMK, BJP join hands again in Tamil Nadu
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has allied with the All India Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) for next year's Tamil Nadu assembly elections, 19 months after snapping ties, making the contest bipolar with the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)-led grouping. The AIADMK and the BJP contested the 2019 parliamentary and the 2021 assembly elections together, but the DMK-led alliance got the better of them. Their ties soured with K Annamalai's appointment as the BJP state chief in July 2021. The AIADMK passed a resolution in 2023 against him for repeated provocations by insulting the late leader J Jayalalithaa and Dravidian icons, and eventually exited the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Before the fresh alliance was announced, the BJP appointed former AIADMK leader Nainar Nagendran as its state unit chief. The 2026 poll can swing any way, considering the two alliances have strong vote banks. The DMK-led government also faces anti-incumbency. Tamil actor Vijay's Tamila Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) could be the only irritant for the two major Dravidian parties' led alliances. In 2021, the BJP-AIADMK alliance won 75 of 234 seats despite strong sentiment in the DMK's favour. The two fought the 2024 national polls separately, losing all 39 parliamentary seats. The division of anti-incumbency votes helped the DMK-led alliance to sweep the state, winning most seats with huge margins. The AIADMK and the BJP joined hands again to prevent a repeat of the 2024 polls and put up a formidable contest against the ruling DMK, which has tried to project the BJP as a party against Tamil Nadu and its culture. The NDA got 39.29% of the total votes in 2021, and the DMK-led alliance 45.70%. The 2025 Delhi assembly polls showed that gaining six percentage points is possible, provided there is a groundswell for a party. In Tamil Nadu, the BJP remains a minor partner, and its alliance with AIADMK has drawbacks. Political observers believe that many AIADMK and BJP leaders could contest as rebels if they fail to get tickets. The AIADMK could also lose Muslim votes. AIADMK leaders maintain that Muslim voters in Tamil Nadu are firmly with the DMK and the party will not lose much. 'Whatever Muslim votes we had were lost after the death of Amma [Jayalalithaa] and our party joining hands with the BJP,' said a Mulsim AIADMK leader. Internal surveys of the DMK and the BJP indicate that the TVK could get up to 16% of the votes if the elections are held now. Election strategist Prashant Kishore's survey claimed that the party can get up to 20% of the votes. The DMK leadership believes TVK could get anti-incumbency votes, which would have otherwise gone to the AIADMK. Some AIADMK voters could go to TVK over unhappiness with the alliance with the BJP. The AIADMK hopes TVK will cut into DMK votes and help the NDA return to power. Most pollsters estimate that TVK's performance would be decent and could get 8-10% votes. Impact of S Seeman's Naam Tamilar Katchi will also be significant, even though its poll performance has been below par until now. The AIADMK-BJP alliance is also facing issues. A week after Union home minister, Amit Shah declared AIADMK leader Edappadi Palaniswami (EPS) would lead the alliance and be the probable chief ministerial candidate, the latter said that the government, if formed, would only be of his party. There is also a question mark over how former deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam (OPS) and TTV Dhinakaran will be accommodated in the NDA. On Saturday, EPS withdrew a case he filed against Dhinakaran, a week after his party allied with the BJP. EPS is not willing to ally with OPS. Insiders say the Bihar formula, under which major political parties got seats and then allocated some of them to smaller ones, could be implemented in Tamil Nadu. OPS and Dhinakaran are likely to get seats from the BJP quota. The alliance is seen as one of convenience. 'We had no choice,' said an AIADMK leader. A BJP leader agreed, 'AIADMK does not have a choice. They will have to work with everyone.' The BJP is keen to oust DMK, its strongest critic in non-BJP-ruled states. The DMK has sought to counter it by labelling it as an outsider and said it will not allow Delhi to run Tamil Nadu. '[Amit] Shah cannot run Tamil Nadu,' chief minister M K Stalin said. He accused EPS of mortgaging Tamil Nadu's dignity for his 'thirst' for power. A lot could happen before the polls, both seen and unseen, and likely make the Tamil Nadu polls the most-watched in 2026.
