# How do you worship an elephant? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 4, 2007, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-worship-an-elephant/386632 "2007-01-04T02:28:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-worship-an-elephant/386632/1 "2007-01-04T02:28:23Z")
It is not my intent to ridicule anyone’s religon. I am curious about this [article](http://www.ibnlive.com/news/railway-train-drivers-worship-elephant/29452-3.html) I came across in my interest of elephants. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-worship-an-elephant/386632/2 "2007-01-04T02:33:38Z")
Well, in the Hindu religion, basically you use a pooja thali - a steel plate, filled with offerings such as flowers and sweets, with a flame in the middle, and you sort of hold it in front of the elephant and wave it in circles (the thali, not the elephant) and pray to it. And anoint it with red colors, and garlands. And bow to it. i’m not sure what those guys did, but that’s what we would do. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-worship-an-elephant/386632/3 "2007-01-04T02:40:44Z")
Thanks! I love the SDMB. CP ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-worship-an-elephant/386632/4 "2007-01-04T03:17:49Z")
[QUOTE=Anaamika] Well, in the Hindu religion, basically you use a pooja thali - a steel plate, filled with offerings such as flowers and sweets, with a flame in the middle, and you sort of hold it in front of the elephant and wave it in circles (the thali, not the elephant) and pray to it. And anoint it with red colors, and garlands. And bow to it. [/QUOTE] Does the elephant get to eat any of the offerings from the thali after you finish waving it around? If not, what do you do with the offerings after the ritual is finished? ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-worship-an-elephant/386632/5 "2007-01-04T04:48:43Z")
[QUOTE=Anaamika] (the thali, not the elephant) [/QUOTE] whew!!! ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-worship-an-elephant/386632/6 "2007-01-04T06:17:29Z")
Vote for presidential candidates with prominent ears? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-worship-an-elephant/386632/7 "2007-01-04T12:11:23Z")
Verrrrrrry carefully. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-worship-an-elephant/386632/8 "2007-01-04T13:17:10Z")
Put him on an ivory tower? ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-worship-an-elephant/386632/9 "2007-01-04T13:22:22Z")
You don’t. You worship a duck. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-worship-an-elephant/386632/10 "2007-01-04T13:27:32Z")
[QUOTE=jjimm] You don’t. You worship a duck. [/QUOTE] I’m down with that. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-worship-an-elephant/386632/11 "2007-01-04T14:28:23Z")
[QUOTE=Anne Neville] Does the elephant get to eat any of the offerings from the thali after you finish waving it around? If not, what do you do with the offerings after the ritual is finished? [/QUOTE] Yes, he will most likely get a nice big piece of prasad. Prasad is blessed food, most likely fruit or nuts, and he’ll be fed it. The rest of it will be spread amongst the devotees. Whenever we went to mandir (temple) we used to get some prasad and you were supposed to be grateful you received it but definitely eat it. Sometimes if someone couldn’t make it to temple you’d bring them a piece of prasad, and then they could get the blessings from home, too. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-worship-an-elephant/386632/12 "2007-01-04T14:29:34Z")
[QUOTE=jjimm] You don’t. You worship a duck. [/QUOTE] Why a duck? ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-worship-an-elephant/386632/13 "2007-01-04T14:44:40Z")
[QUOTE=Musicat] Why a duck? [/QUOTE] Oh! Let’s not start _that_ again! ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-worship-an-elephant/386632/14 "2007-01-04T22:40:03Z")
[QUOTE=Musicat] Why a duck? [/QUOTE] Two men walked into a bar. The third one ducked. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2007, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-worship-an-elephant/386632/15 "2007-01-05T00:03:10Z")
Are elephants an aspect of or related to Ganesha in any way? ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2007, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-worship-an-elephant/386632/16 "2007-01-05T00:18:30Z")
[QUOTE=carnivorousplant] Are elephants an aspect of or related to Ganesha in any way? [/QUOTE] Erm…yes and no. I mean, Ganesh has an elephant head, and trunk, and ears. Do we worship elephants in particular because of it? You have to understand first of all that in India, Hinduism is almost like Christianity in the States. Think of that thread a little while ago where everyone was telling about their “vastly different” upbringings - only as I read them, I only saw Christians and didn’t fully comprehend the difference between Baptists, Protestants, Methodists, Lutherans, etc. I barely understand the difference between Protestants and Catholics, anymore anyway. Like this, there are many different versions of Hinduism in India - to the point where almost every home worships in a different way. So this could very well mean that there are people who outright worship an elephant, and not because of the reasons referenced in the article linked to by the OP, but just because. My family/home/people don’t worship the elephant. We do worship Ganesh - but not that much. We are more Krishn devotees, so you don’t see much Ganesh-pooja in my home. [More info on Ganesh](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganesh) ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2007, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-worship-an-elephant/386632/17 "2007-01-05T00:41:38Z")
[QUOTE=Anne Neville] Does the elephant get to eat any of the offerings from the thali after you finish waving it around? If not, what do you do with the offerings after the ritual is finished? [/QUOTE] After all that, are you gonna tell the elephant it \*\*\*can’t \*\*\*eat it? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2007, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-worship-an-elephant/386632/18 "2007-01-05T00:49:24Z")
[QUOTE=Anaamika] Like this, there are many different versions of Hinduism in India - [/QUOTE] Thanks again, Anaamika. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2007, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-worship-an-elephant/386632/19 "2007-01-05T00:51:26Z")
[QUOTE=carnivorousplant] Thanks again, Anaamika. [/QUOTE] You are so welcome. I love when I get a chance to talk about Hinduism on this board. This board is very centered around the Big Three religions - Islam, Christianity, and Judaism - unfortunately, and so the discussions revolve mainly around those three religions or atheism. I love seeing questions about any of the other religions out there, but Hinduism is the only one I really know about. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2007, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-worship-an-elephant/386632/20 "2007-01-05T01:14:10Z")
[QUOTE=Anaamika] You are so welcome. I love when I get a chance to talk about Hinduism on this board. This board is very centered around the Big Three religions - Islam, Christianity, and Judaism - unfortunately, and so the discussions revolve mainly around those three religions or atheism. I love seeing questions about any of the other religions out there, but Hinduism is the only one I really know about. [/QUOTE] I’d love to see a thread about Hinduism in general. It’s a religion that I find absolutely fascinating. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-worship-an-elephant/386632.md?page=2)