A 16th Century 80 feet high elephant statue at Azhagar Kovil Village near Brihadeshwara Temple in Tamil Nadu
A majestic 16th Century 80 feet high elephant statue is located at Thuravu Melazhagar – Azhagarkovil and Azhagapuri – temple at Azhagar Kovil Village which is around 6km from Brihadeshwara Temple at Gangaikondacholapuram. Like numerous such monuments and statues associated with Hindu religion, this one too needs urgent repair and attention. The story here too is the same there is total neglect from authorities and Hindu society. The sheer size and the intricate designs that are part of the Azhagarkovil elephant statue would have easily placed it in the category of National Monument in any country around the world other than India . In India , government authorities spend lavishly on creating statues of corrupt politicians and of all those Tom Dick and Harry whom the politicians think has the capacity to create vote banks. Suganthy Krishnamachari writes in the Hindu Gazing at the Azhagarkovil elephant, whose majesty even the scaffolding and the thatch are unable to obscure, one can