The Lord Worshipped as a King
In the temple city of Ujjain, the world-famous Lord Mahakal is revered as a king, and lakhs of devotees throng for his darshan every single day. Besides the months of Sawan and Bhado, there are special occasions through the year when the king of Avantika sets out to tour the city and check on the well-being of his people. Just as townsfolk roll out the red carpet for a visiting king, devotees welcome the procession with fireworks, rangoli, showers of flowers and a host of other offerings.
The Attendants Who Steal the Show
Alongside the devotees, Mahakal's procession includes attendants who become the centre of attention because of their distinct grandeur. Dressed in beautiful ceremonial garments, horses, bulls and an elephant draw every eye. This time too, preparations are on to make the procession grand and magnificent, which is why special care is being taken of these animals' diets. You may often have heard of what horses and bulls eat — but here the focus is on the elephant that has served in Mahakal's procession for years. His name is Shyamu.
In the Lord's Service Since Childhood
Mahout Sarman Giri Baba says he has been serving in Lord Mahakal's procession since his childhood. His first elephant was named Ramu, who lived to the age of 70. Ramu served continuously from 1980 to 2016. After Ramu's death, he brought Shyamu into the procession. Shyamu was born on 08.11.1997 in Assam and was brought here at the age of 10. Shyamu is now 29 years old and has been serving in the Lord's procession without a break for the past 9 years.
Shyamu Is Like a Son
For Sarman Giri Baba, Shyamu is no less than a son. Ten mahouts from his family look after the elephant every day. Shyamu's day begins at 5 am when he wakes up. His bath starts at around 5.30 am and continues until roughly 7 am. After the bath he is fed 1 quintal of vegetables at home before setting out.
A Day Bathed in Devotees' Affection
Passing through the city's main routes, Shyamu reaches Mahakal at around 8 am, where he is again given 1 quintal of food. Through the day, devotees keep feeding him different foods, vegetables and fruits. He returns home at about 8 pm.
A Royal Supper: 50 Rotis and 25 Buckets of Water
Once home, 50 fresh thick rotis are prepared for Shyamu, using 25 kg of flour. A little later he is fed sani (sukhla) mixed with one and a half kg of flour, followed by 50 kg of sugarcane. After that, fresh green grass is added to his meal. As for water, Shyamu drinks 25 buckets in a single go. From morning to evening, 10 mahouts remain engaged in this entire round of care.
A Favourite of Children and Devotees
The mahouts say that the moment Shyamu steps out of the house, people begin pampering him with great enthusiasm. Many children wait for him every day and feed him rotis and fruits. Several people linger for the Lord's blessing, and for many, the day begins only after bowing to the elephant.
