Every year, we wait for Bappa- our beloved Ganpati Bappa- with the same excitement, devotion, and love. But there is another form of Bappa that faces unimaginable suffering on earth: the elephant.
Behind their majestic presence lies a painful reality. Many elephants are taken away from their natural habitats and forced into lives of labour. Some are used for tourism, where riding them may generate profits for humans, while their bodies endure years of physical and emotional suffering.
And the exploitation doesn't always end there. In some parts of the world, elephants are even victims of the illegal wildlife trade, with their body parts trafficked for profit. The pain of the form we worship as Vighnaharta is real. And it deserves to be seen.
But there is hope. In Assam, an organisation called Hati Bondhu is working to give elephants a life filled with care, dignity, and compassion. They provide nutritious food, regular health check-ups, medical treatment, and the everyday care these gentle giants need. More importantly, they work to give these elephants something they may have been deprived of for years- a life free from fear and filled with kindness.
But caring for an elephant is not easy. Their food, healthcare, shelter, and rehabilitation come with enormous costs. Hati Bondhu needs our support to continue giving these elephants the life they deserve. This Ganesh Chaturthi, as we welcome Bappa into our homes, let us also protect the living form of the God we worship. Donate towards the care and protection of elephants. Because perhaps the most beautiful way to seek Bappa's blessings is to protect the beings who remind us of him.
Donate now!
