Link to picture
What is the orange smudge angling down from the elephant’s face?
My guess would be dirt, or possibly bark from the tree it pushed over in the background.
Is that article supposed to be written in English? Those words!
…I have no idea what I just read.
“Tusker” is the cutest term I’ve ever heard - even as it’s killing people!
I presume “First” and “Second” mahouts has some significance as how they rank in caring for the elephant, not a score on how many people the elephant was wasted.
The elephant named Keerthi severaly injured one handler and killed another named Gopalakrishnan. It took a bunch of guys to calm the elephant down.
Since the elephant was en route to a ritual, I would imagine the orange is some kind of markings. It looks vaguely like the markings I have seen on elephants in rituals before. Just a guess, though.
I was referring to something that is in front of his face and covers the background; as something he had thrown up with his tusks.
Maybe it’s markings on his face as you suggest lining up with a tree trunk in the background.
Crummy picture.
It’s saffron for decoration. More tomorrow when I have time.
…Ok, I guess I have a minute, too. The pic is tiny but it looks like saffron thy use for blessings and decoration in India. Google “tikka” or “tika” and you’ll find it.
Is it just me or do elephants look larger when they’re going to war?
No time to code, I’m afraid.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rohitmarkande/348870054/
Here is the powder they use:
I don’t know if it’s quite saffron but it sure is pretty. used for sidewalks, too, like in this video right in the beginning:
OK gotta run!
Thanks, Annamika.
It says right in the article. That’s the first mahout. Obviously a dire warning for the second.
Maybe they just use the big ones for war? Oliphaunts?
I counfuse oliphanuts and hefalumps; maybe it’s a British thing.
I couldn’t help but laugh at "Tusker Keerthi trampling its first mahout ". It sounded like “Little Bill fishes his first shark”
You’re so welcome! I love questions like these, even though it’s a sad occurence.
We decorate everything in India, if it stands still long enough.
Here is more pleasant elephant news. Please, what are the duties of a Temple Elephant?
Accepting sweets from children seems to be a large part. 
I am amazed and astounded to find that Wiki has a page on it:
Temple Elephants where they explain a little.
But I can add a little. Elephants are a huge part of Indian culture. Let’s face it, until the day you can carry around a blue whale, there just isn’t that much more impressive than elephants. They’re big lumbering creatures but until provoked are fairly easy to take care of. Not like big cats, or so I hear. They form lasting bonds. The good mahouts in India love their elephants like Americans love their dogs.
They can carry, push, and pull. They are smart enough to learn tricks. You can put a palanquin on them and ride in style. They’re impressive. Kids love them, no matter what. How many elephants did you see , out of the zoo, up close and personal, before you were 12? I can tell you I probably saw more, and I was raised here after age 4.
I can’t think of an analogous animal in other cultures. Who else keeps a creature like this, in their temples, decorates them, and even reveres them a little? Don’t forget, Ganesh is an elephant-headed god, and so when we treat the elephants with love and respect, we are also paying respect to the creature that partially created Shri Ganesh.
However the poaching is immense and depressing. Killing a beautiful behemoth like that just to get at the ivory? I hope they make synthetic ivory and people just stop buying the real stuff. And they only (mostly) kill adult males, which means a lot of trouble in the elephant population.
Darsini (from your link) looks like a sweetheart.