Photo copyright Kunal Kamlesh Shah.
Taken during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India (2009.)
Photographer's note, "The idol is of Lord Ganesh who is followed by a lot of Indian Population. During the 10 day festival, the God is offered prayers, donations and prasadam (sacred food.) After the 10th day, the clay idol is immeresed into the sea. The immerssion procession lasts for about 18 hours, where the lord is pulled by a hand wagon and the journey starts from city centre and ends at the sea side where it gets immersed. The procession has huge orchestras (locally known as Nashik and Pune Dhol) and people dance, sing praises of their favourite lord. This festival is celebrated every August-Sept period. GANPATI BAPA MORIYA. Place: Lalbaugh Suburb, Mumbai City."
Elephants, like most herbivores, have symiobtic bacteria in their gut that helps them break down their food. They are not born with these bacteria the only way for a calf to get them is to eat the faeces of its mother or other elephants. Some of the bacteria are excreted with the faeces, and by eating them the calf acquires the essential bacteria.Also, an elephant's digestive system is not very efficient. What comes out is not that much different from what goes in it still contains some nutritional value that the gut failed to extract. Therefore, an elephant can eat another elephant's (or its own) dung and gain some good from it. In order to compensate for this digestive inefficiency, elephants have to eat almost round the clock to ensure they get enough nutrition from their food.
Posted by: Funda | July 02, 2012 at 08:38 PM