Author: Sivaram Hariharan
Pages: 264
Year of Publication: 2013
Price: Rs 350
ISBN:
978-93-5045-058-1 (9789350450581)
 
About the Author:
Dr Sivaram Hariharan is a professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry. His other books include Pride: A Tale of Lions (2001), Code-E2121: A Solution for Terrorism (2003) and Bees: A Hive of Short Stories (2005). Apart from writing, his other interests are music and chanting Vedas. You can find out more about him here.
Teaser:
In his preface to the book, Dr Hariharan writes:
“Rumble is the story of an elephant in the wild and wherever possible I have taken the utmost care to realistically describe wild elephant behaviour, the facts of which I have gathered from various books and documentaries on wild elephants and also interviews with forest guides, trackers, and temple mahouts. Rumble also deals with human-pachyderm interactions in crucial parts, but the scenario and the context are entirely different…
Today the Asiatic elephant, more than its African cousin (also potentially endangered), is living a precarious existence in the last remaining and fast diminishing wild tracts of Asia. It requires more than a song, more than a lone voice of conscience, to get things really moving with regard to protecting the animal and its habitat. In fact, habitat protection and establishment of key migration corridors is vital for the survival of this magnificent creature said to be the embodiment of the elephant-headed Hindu god Lord Ganesha himself. Hindu mythology also reserves a special place for the pachyderm in the form of holy devotee elephants like Gajendra. The six-tusked white elephant, Airavat, is the official carrier of the King of the Gods, Indra, in the Hindu pantheon. Even in real life, in recent history, the annals of Kerala in southern India record the life of the great devotee elephant, Shri Guruvayoor Keshavan, whose real-life exploits are legendary to say the least.”