Hindus have worshipped elephants for centuries, but the true philosophy behind the animal's worship has been misinterpreted and distorted by many Western scholars. When Hindus worship the elephant, it is not the animal itself that they worship, but what it represents. The elephant represents obedience to dharma, the ability not to repeat past mistakes, respect and care for one's peers. The image of the elephant was used to represent all the qualities that a perfect disciple should have. Many Hindu gods are personified according to a set of attributes. The deification of the images was a way of informing the public about social rules and moral obligations. Ganesha is an example of this.
A perfect disciple acts like an elephant. He devotes complete obedience to his guru, his eyes are small, which are not used only for the physical body, but represent the eyes of the spirit. Large ears with which he listens more than he speaks, informing everyone else about the dangers he encounters on his path to enlightenment, and finally. When he needs to perform a specific task, physical pain, fatigue, hunger and thirst are no obstacles. Most importantly, elephants are obedient creatures, and although they are careful and calm most of the time, they go almost crazy when they are first angered. More dedicated creatures you will have to look for a long time!
Here I am being blessed by an elephant in the famous Meenakshi temple in Madurai (south India). As a thank you, it received 10 rupees which it took with its trunk and passed on to its owner.
On one of my wonderful food and cultural trips to India, a guide told me that if the leader of the group demands a specific task, they instinctively obey, passing over everything in front of them, destroying any obstacle that comes their way, and becoming insensitive to pain or exhaustion. It is almost impossible to stop an elephant when it has a task in mind or has become angry. They have a good memory and almost never forget the places they have been. They never repeat a path that has once proven dangerous. They live in groups and look out for each other closely. If they happen to see the bones of another elephant belonging to the group, they make a loud noise and let others know that one of them is missing, so that they can come and quietly say goodbye.
In India, elephants have been involved in many areas, from war to weddings, to building castles and working in the forest. The nobles often rode elephants to their own weddings. It's something my son talked about for his wedding when he was little, but whether it will happen, only time will tell... :)