An elephant serving the Sri Padmavathi Ammavari temple in Tiruchanoor near Tirupati attacked its mahout on Sunday evening, leaving him seriously injured.
The incident occurred after the completion of the evening Unjal Seva, when the temple elephants, Srinidhi and Avanija, were being taken back to the goshala.
The mahouts brought the elephants to the temple through Gate 3 as part of their routine.
Near the Ratham Mandapam, Srinidhi suddenly moved towards a devotee walking ahead and attempted to attack him. Mahout Chandra Sekhar, aged around 40, intervened to control the elephant, but it turned aggressive and pushed him to the ground.
The elephant then mildly hit Chandra Sekhar’s chest and moved him around with its trunk, causing serious injuries. He was given first aid at the temple and later shifted to Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences (SVIMS) hospital in Tirupati.
Temple officials said at night that he was undergoing treatment in the ICU, where doctors kept monitoring his condition.
The incident triggered panic among the devotees in the temple premises. The elephant’s loud trumpeting sound caused devotees to run away.
Another mahout managed to calm Srinidhi after some time and took both elephants back to the goshala.
Srinidhi has been serving the Sri Padmavathi Ammavari temple for nearly two decades. TTD officials including JEO A Sharat visited Chandra Sekhar and enquired about his condition and the circumstances leading to the attack.
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